After Redemption
by msd1423daly
Summary: This is how I wanted Redemption to end. This story seems to want to keep going so we will see where it takes me. I do not own these characters, I am just borrowing them. They belong to the CW, Ron Koslow and each other.
1. Chapter 1

What I wished had happened after the end of 2x14.

Chapter 1

Catherine stood in the kitchen of Gabe's loft. She was ashamed of herself, her arm hurt and she was confused. "Vincent has to go"! Gabe says as he walks away and takes his coat off. Catherine is stunned…. Let him go….. "I can't", she whispers as she picks up her coat and walks to the door.

"Catherine!" Gabe exclaims. She turns and looks at him, "I'm sorry Gabe, you don't deserve this, but this is not going to work". She walks out the door and does not look back. If she had she would have seen Gabe's face turn from shock to anger.

Catherine goes home, what she really wants to do is run to Vincent but she does not think that would be fair to him. I can't go from Gabe's bed to Vincent's, I am not that girl….but man she wanted to be. She calls Tess instead…

"Hello?" Tess answers, she can hear the hitched breath of Catherine…" Cat are you alright?" "No" she says, "I am not, can you come over?"

"Are you at Gabe's?" Tess asks. "Not any more, I am headed home, can you meet me there?" Tess quickly responds "Of course I can. Tess hangs up the phone and turns to JT. "Cat just broke up with Gabe and she needs me, I gotta go." JT smiles and gives Tess a kiss and says" you go and be there for Cat, I have somewhere to be too."

JT heads to Vincent's. Vincent is sitting in the dark brooding…."Dude listen Cat just broke things off with Gabe." Vincent looks up and JT can see that Vincent has been crying….

Vincent just looks at JT. "What?" "Vincent, did you not hear me, Cat broke things off with Gabe, and she just called Tess." Vincent looks down, "JT it doesn't matter, I am no good for her. She needs to find someone not connected to beasts and all this" he waves his hands to take in everything around him. "Catherine needs to take her life back."

JT rolls his eyes, "Listen there is no taking her life back, THIS is her life. Without you, she wouldn't even be alive. You've saved her life a dozen times." Vincent nods his head "Yeah well she has saved me too." JT is getting exasperated "I KNOW! That is my point. You two are destiny. You save each other, come on man, neither one of you is good on your own. Now man up and go get her."

Vincent raised his eyebrows, "Man up?" JT smirks, "Yeah I know I usually say Beast up but this time it's more of a man thing, although maybe she would like a beast thing. Ugh, I so don't want to go there!" Vincent laughed, "OK but she probably needs a little time JT, so I am not going to Man Up and run over there right now." JT gives in, "Fine, but this is your window, don't wait too long this time. I'll catch you later." Vincent smiles, "Ok man thanks."

Tess races to Catherine's apartment. When she gets there Catherine is sitting on the couch staring off into space. "What happened?" Cat looked at Tess, "I am not sure, its all a big mess, I shot and killed Jacob without so much as a thought and asked Vincent to go all beast to save Gabe without even thinking about how that would make Vincent feel. I am such a hypocrite, I broke up with Vincent because he chose his beast over us, but then when it's convenient for me I ask Vincent to be a beast. What kind of person does that? After talking to Vincent tonight I realized that I am the one acting like a beast, and he is the one struggling to be more human."

Catherine looked sad. "I tried to talk to Gabe about it, but he didn't understand and told me that I had to choose and that Vincent had to go. And right there in that moment I knew I could not do that, even if we are not together, I need him in my life. So I walked out and told Gabe that I was sorry but it was over between us." Catherine took a deep breath. "I don't know what to do?"

Tess was quiet a moment, "Well, what do you want?" Catherine didn't hesitate…'Vincent!" Tess smiled, "Well then you better go get him!"

As she drove to the boathouse thoughts were racing in her head, what would she say, how would she explain how she felt and what would Vincent do? How did he feel about her? She pulled over and stopped. Was she really going to do this, go to Vincent and tell him how she felt? What if he really had moved on and was still mourning Tori could she handle it if he pushed her away. She sat there for a bit, yes she had to talk to him, so much time had passed already, and she had lost too much. She had nothing more to lose.

Vincent heard her coming, he could hear her heartbeat. It was pounding, it sounded like it was going to explode. It's a good thing JT stopped by earlier to tell him that she had broken up with Gabe otherwise that heartbeat would have had him tearing off to find Gabe thinking he had hurt her. He was sitting on the couch pretending to watch TV when she burst in. Catherine stopped and looked at Vincent, he turned towards her. The pain in her eyes made his gut clench.

"Hey" Vincent said.

"Vincent I'm sorry", she blurted out… He looked at her, "what for?"

"Asking you to go after beast Jacob, when you were trying to cure human Jacob. For treating you like my own personal weapon and asking you to kill when I think you should and then judging you when I don't agree."

"I am so sorry", she starts to cry "I"….. I just …. I just miss you and I need you and I don't expect you to feel the same way but" ….That was as far as she got as Vincent got up and put his arms around her. She grabbed on to him. She starts to break down in his arms.

"Catherine you don't have to apologize to me, not after what I have done." He held her placing his big hand on the back of her head. She looked up at him, "Yes I do, you have been trying so hard to make amends and I have been just awful to you, I just have been so afraid of my feelings for you. No matter what I did they wouldn't go away."

"I kept telling myself that you were gone, that the man I fell in love with had been destroyed last year when they took you. That even though you looked like my Vincent you weren't really my Vincent. I thought you had moved on with Tori and I tried to convince myself that I was over you, to move forward with Gabe, but no matter what everything led me back to you."

"Today at the hospital, I saw you, Vincent the real you, the man that I loved and I couldn't handle it, and the thought that you were the Vincent I fell in love with. It just hurt so much. So I lashed out at you and you did not deserve that."

Vincent didn't say anything he just held her. God it felt good to hold her in his arms. "Catherine, what happened with Gabe, did he do something?" "Did he hurt you?" Catherine looked up at him, "No not at all, he just gave me an ultimatum." Vincent smiled remembering when he had given Catherine an ultimatum.

"He said that you had to go, that I had to choose between you two. I couldn't do it, even if you didn't want to be with me romantically, I needed you in my life. So I told him it wouldn't work out and I left and went home."

"I called Tess and she asked me what I wanted and I didn't even hesitate… I just wanted you." Catherine was breathing hard, she had said everything she had been holding in, she looked at Vincent it was all up to him now.

Vincent took a deep breath; those are the words he had been dying to hear for the last few weeks. His heart started pounding, Catherine was not a beast but she could tell his heart was racing by the little pulse at the base of his throat. Catherine looked up at him, "What do you want Vincent?"

He moved his hand from her waist and cupped her face…. "You"…. he said as he lowered his head and captured her lips. She moaned as he kissed her. Her hands rubbed his arms, tracing the contours of his muscles as they worked they way up to his shoulders. He pressed her close with one hand while the other angled her head so he could kiss her deeper. He growled at her and felt her smile against his lips. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He pulled her to him, and she used those gorgeous legs and squeezed so that her pelvis ground into his. He raced up the stairs and set her on the ground. He pulled back and looked at her. "Wait…. I need to say something."

They were both breathing heavy and Catherine was looking at him, it was hard to concentrate when all he wanted to do was throw her on the bed, tear her clothes off and stake a claim on her body, on her soul… "I need to tell you something."

"I Love You-I need you to know that, before this goes any further. You are my humanity, my soul, without you next to me I feel lost and adrift."

"And I am sorry, you may not believe me, but even when I chose my beast over us and I was with Tori, I was never at peace without you. I was always on edge and angry. When Tori died the anger and rage went away, I can't explain it and I am not sure I even understand it, but I am sorry that I hurt you."

Vincent kept explaining. "I want you to know, before Tori died, I recognized that what we had was toxic and not something I wanted, I just"…Catherine stopped him, "Vincent, I understand, I tried to make it work with Gabe and tried to let you go, but I just couldn't. I love you too and I want to be with you…. So shut up and kiss me."

Vincent needed no more encouragement. He grabbed Catherine's face and kissed her; she sighed and leaned into him. He wanted to take his time and savor this, savor the feeling of her skin under his hands. He ran his hands down her arms and interlaced his fingers with hers, her breath hitched , her fingers tightened on his, he looked into her eyes and they were moist "Vincent"…. she breathed, he smiled…"I remember too."

Chapter 2

Catherine woke up in the morning in the same position she'd fallen asleep in. Vincent's arms around her, her back pressed into his front and he was curled around her. His hand was splayed against her stomach and his thighs were tucked up behind her. It was at once familiar and strange. Before he was taken they had lain like this a few times, but because he always had to be back to the warehouse before dawn, they rarely woke up together. Catherine smiled, now that Vincent was out in the open they could wake up like this every morning.

She smiled to herself, Vincent was right, he did remember. This time was different than the two other times they had made love since he had been back. Before she was trying so hard to get him to remember and he was trying so hard to let her that their lovemaking had been desperate. This time she had felt their deep connection again. She snuggled down deeper into his arms, God she had missed this….

Vincent had been awake for some time reveling in the feel of Catherine in his arms. He could tell when she woke up and was waiting for her to say something. She snuggled down further into his arms and he moved his head to her shoulder, his lips just gently resting against her neck, his scruff tickling her. She bunched up her shoulder and sighed. "Good Morning". He pulled her back against him, "Good Morning to you."

Catherine rolled over to look up at Vincent, she smiled shyly as she put her hand on the side of his face. "That was amazing." "What was, this?" he asks as he kisses her gently at first and then with more passion. Catherine pressed her body to Vincent's, she could tell he was excited, she could feel his reaction to her. "Yes that, she giggled, but also waking up with you. I have missed you so much Vincent." "Not any more than I have missed you," he replied. Vincent lowered his head and captured her lips and for a while words were not necessary between them.

Catherine padded down into the kitchen to start the coffee and Vincent followed her not long after. He was wearing his blue robe. She cocked her head at him, "I don't ever remember you wearing a robe?" He smiled, well I never had one before, Tori….." he stopped realizing that he did not want to bring Tori up right now. Catherine looked at him, "Vincent it's OK, she was a part of your life and we need to be honest with each other about what we have been through these last few months and Tori is part of that for you."

"Just like Gabe is for you" Vincent said." "Yes", Catherine said sounding sad; I should probably talk to him. I left pretty abruptly last night." "Maybe I should talk to him" said Vincent. "You know mano y mano." Catherine hesitated, "I don't see that going well, you are probably the last person he wants to see right now." Vincent smiled, he knew it was petty of him but the last few weeks of watching her with Gabe had been some of the most difficult of his life, and he'd been experimented on, brainwashed and almost assassinated so that was saying something.

"I'll give him a call and go see him in a little bit and try to explain everything to him." Catherine said feeling guilty. What could she say to him; sorry for using you to prove I was over Vincent. Sorry for leading you on, for not really confronting my own feelings. All of those seemed inadequate considering all he had done for her these past few months.

As if reading her mind, Vincent spoke "You know he really should have known better than to start something with you in the first place." "I'm sorry?" Catherine asked. Vincent came up to her and put his arms around her, "Look, he knew what we had, he witnessed it last year, he could see all you went through these last few months, did he really expect that you had moved on so quickly, that you would be ready for a new relationship?"

"I don't know what to say to him, how to explain how I feel, at least not without hurting him and I don't want to do that. He has been there for me this whole time."Catherine said. Vincent thought to himself, yes he had and the question that was nagging at him was why?

At this moment the subject of Catherine and Vincent's discussion was pacing back and forth in his condo. Gabe was pissed, he had gone through a lot to get Catherine to trust him. He thought he had done just that in the last few weeks, she had been feeling vulnerable with Tori in the picture and he had been able to use that to his advantage. He never should have given her that ultimatum last night. He knew her well enough to know how she reacted to being pushed into anything. The question was now what is he supposed to do? He needed her to trust him in order for his plan to work. He needed her, she was the only one who could get him what he wanted. He was just going to have to continue to play nice and understanding Gabe a little while longer.


	2. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Catherine called Gabe and arranged to meet him just down from her apartment for coffee. He agreed and sounded ok, but she was nervous and so was Vincent so he told her he would be nearby. Not in the shop but close enough if she needed him.

Gabe was already sitting there waiting for her with her favorite coffee. He stood up when he saw her and he was smiling. Cat smiled back at him, walked over, sat down and took a sip of coffee to give herself a moment to collect her thoughts.

Gabe spoke first. "Catherine I am sorry for what I said last night, I know you still care about Vincent and I never should have asked you to cut him out of your life." Catherine looked at Gabe, and said "No I am sorry, I never should have started up a relationship with you, and it was too soon." "Catherine" Gabe started. "No please let me finish" Catherine said.

"Gabe, I actually need to thank you."

"Thank me?" Gabe says astonished

"Yes you have been such a good friend to me these last few months and I know I may have screwed this all up, but if you had not given me that ultimatum last night I would not have realized my feelings for Vincent were unresolved."

"Unresolved?" Gabe knew he sounded like an idiot, parroting every last word she said but he did not like where this was going. He thought he would just apologize and they could go back to being together.

"Well they were unresolved until last night." Catherine said looking down.

"Last night?" Seriously he needed to stop that.

"After I left your place I went and saw Vincent…. Gabe I am sorry, and this is not fair to you, but I still love him."

"Oh" Gabe did not have a comeback for that. Now what was he going to do, he looked at Catherine. He still needed her help, could he still get it if he played nice and understanding? He did not feel like he had much of a choice. Gabe looked down.

"I understand Cat, I should have known better, I saw the way you two were together last year and I should have known that no one could come between you two."

Catherine let go of the breath she had been holding in. "Still friends?" She asked. Gabe smiled at her, "Of course, Catherine I would not have it any other way."

Catherine's phone rings and it is Tess checking in.

Gabe left the café and Vincent could tell that Catherine was ok, her heartbeat was normal and he could hear her on the phone to Tess, updating her on what had happened in the past few hours. Vincent decided to trail Gabe a bit; he did not like how easily Gabe had handled what Catherine had told him. There was no way he would have just agreed to be friends with Catherine, he would have fought harder for her.

Vincent tracks Gabe through the city, staying far enough back so there is no way Gabe would detect him. Gabe heads for a loft in Tribeca. Vincent has no idea what he is up to, he makes note of the address and tries to get close enough to see what Gabe is up to. He can hear Gabe talking to someone.

"We have a problem" Gabe says.

"What is it?" Vincent looks in from the rooftop across the alley and can see older gentlemen, tall with grey hair responding to Gabe, his back is to Vincent and he can't see his face. Vincent is not sure but he seems familiar.

"Catherine is back with Vincent" Gabe tells the man.

"Dammit, Lowan you were supposed to get between them!"

" Believe me I tried, I bent over backwards for Catherine, made sure I was there for her every time Vincent hurt her, but there was nothing I could do."

Gabe put his hands up, "Look, I can salvage this, I told her I would just be her friend that I understood how she felt. Vincent is bound to screw up again and I will be there for her."

"I am not sure that we have that kind of time", the older man said, "We need to find out where Vincent hid that gem. Do you think she will still help you get it?"

Gabe thought for a minute, "Yes I will tell her that as long as the gem is out there, Vincent is in danger, she can convince him to give it to her with the pretext of destroying it."

The older man carefully thinks it over, "That just might work!"

Gabe leaves the loft and heads back downtown. Vincent is torn between following Gabe and figuring out who he was talking to. The guy seemed so familiar yet Vincent could not put a name or a face to him. Vincent decides to follow the man as long as he can.

Turns out it wasn't that long. The guy went to the top of the building and a helicopter picked him up. Vincent was never able to see his face and the helicopter did not have any markings, no registration, no anything, just all black. Vincent had a very bad feeling about this…


	3. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Vincent called Catherine and asked her and Tess to meet him at JT's.

'What's going on?" Catherine asks.

'I followed Gabe, after he left you at the café and trailed him to a loft in Tribeca. He met with a guy that was familiar but not." "What does that mean?' asked JT Vincent tried to explain 'I'm not sure but I think he might be someone I met or knew back when the FBI or whoever had me", explained Vincent.

Catherine's face is deathly pale and her heartbeat escalates, as she grabs onto Vincent. "What in the hell?" Vincent pulls her close and tells her not to worry… yet…..

"I am not sure, but Gabe was talking to the guy about needing you to get the gem". Vincent looks at Catherine as he continues. "I'm sorry but it sounded like all of Gabe's attention to you was just about getting the gem away from me."

JT interjects "That's crazy, why go to all the trouble and who's to say Cat would have helped him."

"I don't' know man, but he was not happy that Catherine broke up with Gabe. But it gets better, Gabe told the guy that he was going to play nice and supportive friend, because eventually I will screw up and he will be there to catch Cat when that happens." Vincent tightened his hold on Cat," That is not going to happen, I promise"

"Anyway the plan is to have Gabe convince Cat that the only way to keep me safe is to give him the gem so he can destroy it. But obviously he is planning on turning it over to them… whoever them is. Then the guy left the loft via the helicopter, and get this, the helicopter has absolutely no markings on it, no registration no nothing…"

JT whispered what they were all thinking "It has to be the same people who took you before. I mean it makes sense they were there to get Gabe in the first place so they obviously knew about him."

"But why?" Tess asked. Didn't they already get from Vincent what they wanted? Enhanced beast skills, Murfield gone, other beasts killed. With Daddy Reynolds in jail isn't that all over?"

Cat looks at her friends and says. "I don't know but I know someone who does. Vincent we have to go see my Father."

"I am going to go and get some Tums, anyone want any." JT says as he heads behind the bar. Tess looks at him and says "Yeah grab me some too."

Vincent and Catherine head to Rikers to see Daddy Reynolds. Vincent smiles, "Remember the last time we were both here?" Catherine laughs despite her fears. "Yeah you kidnapping me-good times."

"Well I will admit that was not my best decision ever, but it did lead somewhere pretty damn good."

Catherine smiling said. "Although being tied to the chair afterwards was not so-pleasant, but I prefer to focus on the good stuff and not the bad stuff."

"You know Catherine there is a lot we need to talk about, especially about me pushing you that night."

"Vincent we can talk if you want, but I understood then and I do now. I pursued you, pushed you, cornered you and made you feel threatened. That was not you lashing out at me that was your beast." I don't blame you anymore that I would blame a wild animal that lashes out and attacks when it feels threatened."

"Thank you for that but I have always been so afraid that I will accidentally hurt you and I thought I had gotten past that, but now…."

Catherine put her hand on Vincent's "I know that YOU would never hurt me, back then right after we found you. You were not yourself; you did not know me or trust me. Now things are different and you do know me and you do trust me, even if you don't have all your memories back."

Looking at Catherine with those beautiful hazel eyes he said "I do know you now and I do trust you, now let's go talk to your Father.

Bob Reynolds was not happy to see them, especially Vincent. "What is he doing here?"

Catherine said, "WE are here for some answers, and YOU are going to give them to us."

Vincent spoke up, "I know you don't want me around Catherine, but you need to understand that nothing is going to come between us again. So you can either help us which helps Catherine and maybe just maybe she will forgive you someday and maybe just maybe I won't kill you someday." Vincent let his eyes go golden just to make his point.

Bob looked at Vincent and Catherine, Vincent standing at Catherine's back, like he was protecting her from the world. They looked so strong and united together. Bob realized that Vincent would sacrifice his life for Catherine and he wasn't so sure that Catherine wouldn't do the same for Vincent. No matter what he did they ended up together. Kidnapping, brainwashing, attempted assassination, hell even Catherine shooting Vincent didn't keep them apart.

Bob hung his head "What do you want to know?"

Catherine took a deep breath, "Gabe is after the gem. He met with a man who we think is somehow connected to you and whoever else was involved in Vincent's kidnapping last year." Bob's head snapped up, "What?"

Vincent explained that Gabe had met with a guy who seemed familiar to him, but he could not place him; he also explained that after the meeting the guy took off in an unmarked helicopter.

"Dad the other day you said that I had to kill all the beasts especially Vincent. Why? What is so special about Vincent?

"It's not just Vincent….It's you too. I have been trying to protect you from all of this. But no matter what I do it all comes back to the two of you and the fact that you are together."

"Vincent surely you must have guessed by now that you are different from all the other beasts out there. You have always been able to retain your humanity. Even after you were brainwashed and your memories erased, it did not take long for your humanity to reassert itself. The agency that made you has been trying to make beasts just like you for years. You are the perfect beast.

"So why have they not come after me?" Vincent asked

My guess is because they can't control you. After they…. we had you last year and after all the reprogramming, here you are back with Catherine and back to your old self. If Gabe is after the gem it must be so they can control you."

"What does this have to do with Catherine", Vincent asked.

Bob looked at Catherine. "You might not believe me but everything I have done is to keep you safe. You won't remember this but when you were about 2 years old you were very sick, your Mom figured out that your illness was genetic. She came to me at that point and found that the damaged gene was passed down from my side. You mom got into gene therapy in order to keep you alive."

Vincent could hear Catherine's heartbeat start to race, he placed his hand on her shoulder and whispered "hey it's ok, I am right here."

Bob continued. "The Agency" for lack of a better term has been involved with beasts for hundreds of years. The agency changes and modifies itself according to the changing times, but one thing always remains the same, they are all about beasts. Hundreds of years ago it was powerful families, which morphed into groups, they eventually morphed into businesses. Murfield is just one of those groups they focused on turning beasts into weapons for profit. The army was basically the human trial for their experiment. Vincent is the only one who did not let the beast side overwhelm the human side. That put him on their radar."

Bob continued "Your Mom got involved with the biotech arm of Murfield and discovered a way to alter DNA, that is what saved your life, it's also what got her hooked up with the military branch of Murfield. Her discovery of how to splice DNA lead to the formula that was used on Vincent."

Catherine could barely breathe, "So I am the reason there are beasts out there? I am responsible for what happened to Vincent." Vincent immediately turned Catherine around. "You are not responsible for any of this, do you hear me? You are not responsible." Catherine looked at Vincent as tears welled up in her eyes. She nodded her head, took a deep breath and turned around to her father.

"Ok, if what you say is true, how does killing Vincent protect me?"

"You two appear to share a connection; everyone can see the effect she has on you, Vincent. If the Agency gets a hold of both of you they would try and replicate the bond you two have in order to provide a genetic handler if you will, for beasts. I figured if you killed Vincent then the Agency would leave you alone and no one would be the wiser as to your involvement."

"Look I don't know who the guy in the helicopter was; I was just a small cog in a very big wheel. All I can tell you is that you are both in danger." Bob looked at Vincent. "I am counting on you keeping her safe, I tried and failed it's all up to you now."

Catherine made it as far as the car before she broke down. Vincent held her while she cried. When it was over, she looked up at him, her eyes full of unshed tears. "I'm so sorry".

Vincent would have none of that. He held her face in his hands. "Catherine you have nothing to be sorry for. You did not have anything to do with this; you cannot take this on by yourself. Whatever has happened and whatever will happen we are in this together."

"I love you and that has nothing to do with DNA, it has to do with who you are. I watched you for 10 years and loved you because of the kind of person you are. I may not remember everything, but I remember enough. What I feel for you has nothing to do with Beasts or genetics."

"Vincent how can you be so sure? What if all this is just some kind of weird experiment?"

"Catherine, do you really believe that? Is that how you feel about me?"

"Oh Vincent no, I love you for who you are too. I fell in love with you last year because I saw the man behind the beast and I have always loved you, even when I was mad at you, I still loved you. That has nothing to do with DNA. My head is just so overwhelmed with all of this."

"Let's head back to JT's update him on everything and we will figure out together what to do next, OK?" Vincent leaned in and captured Catherine lips with his own. She gave herself into the kiss and as they stopped, foreheads touching, she whispers "OK, let's go figure this out together."


	4. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The gang was all back together at JT's, Vincent and Catherine explained everything that Bob had told them. At first everyone was quiet lost in their own thoughts about what this might mean. Then leave it to JT… "So you're like Beast Catnip?" That broke the ice and they all laughed.

"More like a Beast Whisperer," chimes in Tess.

"Or maybe a Beast Wrangler, says Catherine laughing…

"Giddy up" deadpan's Vincent, eyebrows raised looking at Catherine.

Catherine blushed as everyone else laughed, tension broken.

"What exactly are we going to do?" Asked Tess, "And why Gabe? Why is he so invested in this, starting a relationship with you to get the gem, just to give it away, what's in this for him?

Catherine spoke up, "That is what we need to figure out. Do you think he wants to be a beast again? He seemed truly frightened when Sam was about to inject him."

All at once they all realized, Sam was still out there and still wanting to make beasts and they had no idea what for. JT in full panic mode says. "So we have Sam running around making new beasts from my serum, with no idea why and we have Gabe trying to get the gem so some ancient organization/black ops agency can control Vincent and experiment on Catherine. Have I left anything out?"

Tess placed her hand on JT's arm, "Nope I think you got everything covered. Don't freak out we will figure this out."

"I am thinking that this is the perfect time to freak out!"

Vincent interjected, "Look Sam is the biggest problem right now, so let's deal with him first. We know what Gabe is up to so just let it play out and we will deal with things as they come up. For now, I say we call it a night and figure out what to do about Sam in the morning."

Catherine and Vincent went to the houseboat. "I can protect you better here, it's smaller and less crowded so I can hear anyone coming."

"Vincent, you don't have to protect me, I can take care of myself"

I know you can, and it's not that you need to be protected as much as it is that I need to protect you." "Oh Vincent", Catherine sighed and moved into his arms.

Vincent pulled Catherine close and placed his hand on her face. "I couldn't handle it if anything happened to you. If what your Dad said is true, kidnapping you and experimenting on you is their plan and I cannot let that happen, Catherine, it would destroy me."

Catherine covered Vincent's hand with her own, her eyes shiny….. I know, because it almost destroyed me, I don't know how much longer I would have made it if we had not found you when we did. And then to see how much you had changed, to know what they must have done to you. It almost broke me Vincent; sometimes I am not sure that it didn't.

Vincent looked into Catherine's eyes, placed both hands on the side of her face. "You are the strongest person I know, you saved me, and you brought me back to myself. I owe you my life and I will spend the rest of it making sure that you never regret a single moment."

Vincent kissed Catherine, gently at first, and then as Catherine pressed herself against him the kiss took on a life of its own. Their tongues dueling as one tried to consume the other. Vincent picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her upstairs, Catherine kissing his neck and behind his ear.

As they got near the bed, he let Catherine go and she slid down his body, she could feel his erection, he was near to bursting. He could hear her heartbeat, she was panting and he knew once he got her out of her jeans, she would be wet and ready for him.

They looked at each other breathing heavy, Vincent smiled and Catherine's breath hitched. She placed her hands under his t-shirt and lifted it up; he let her take it over his head. She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his back, God she loved his back, the way the muscles bunched under her hands. She bit her lip as she unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his fly, his erection pushing against the fabric of his boxers. She hooked her fingers in his waistband and slid everything off. He stood there naked in front of her, like a God built for sex.

Now it was Vincent's turn and he was determined to take his time, even when he was desperate to bury himself to the hilt inside her. He took her face in his hands and kissed her gently, he turned her around and swept aside her hair and placed feather light kisses along her neck, Catherine shivered….She could feel Vincent smile against her skin. She let her head fall back as Vincent's hands came around and cupped her breasts through her shirt. He unbuttoned her shirt and kissed each shoulder as he exposed her to his mouth. He unclasped her bra and let it fall to the floor. He cupped her breasts again as his thumbs caressed her nipples causing them to tighten and lengthen

Catherine was breathing heavily now and pressing back up against him. "Vincent please…" "Not so fast, I am going to take my time and savor this." Catherine turned around as she did she grasped him in her hand. "You can savor it later; I need you inside me NOW." Vincent lifted Catherine up and laid her down on the bed, pulling the rest of her clothing off at the same time. In seconds he was sheathed to the hilt and struggling to hold it together. Catherine smiled as she wrapped her legs around him. "That's what I am talking about, Giddy Up!" Catherine held on as Vincent gave her the ride of her life.

After, as they lay in the afterglow of their lovemaking, Catherine's head on Vincent's shoulder she sighed, "That was pleasant." Vincent chuckled, "Pleasant huh, well I guess I have my work cut out for me." Catherine stretched and laughed, "Well you did say you wanted to take your time…." Vincent rolled over and pressed her down into the bed. "Yes I seem to remember saying something like that."

Catherine fell asleep perfectly sated, spooned against Vincent, his breath in her ear, the perfect music to drift off to…..

The next morning, Catherine opened her eyes and moved her arm looking for Vincent, the smell of coffee reached her nose just a she realized he was not in bed. Catherine pulled on one of Vincent's t-shirts and his boxers and headed downstairs. The sight of Vincent standing at the kitchen sink pouring her a cup of coffee put butterflies in her stomach.

Vincent watched Catherine walk down the stairs, his chest hurt, she was so beautiful with her tousled morning hair and wearing his too big for her clothes. "Good Morning" he said as she took the coffee cup out of his hand. She smiled, "Good Morning" as she stood on her tip toes to give him a kiss.

Vincent cooked her breakfast while they talked about what to do next. "We need to find Sam before he finds another person from the orphanage." Catherine said.

"Maybe we can get Gabe to come up with a list of all the kids from the orphanage that will make it easy to keep an eye on him, while looking for Sam." Vincent suggested. "Between the 5 of us, we can track the ones here in NY, hopefully keep surveillance on them and catch Sam before he has a chance to inject anymore.

"Sounds like a plan, lets hit the shower and head over to JT's" Catherine turned to head for the stairs only to be swept up by Vincent. "I like the sound of that, let's hope my shower is big enough for two."

After, Catherine realized that she did not have any clean clothes at Vincent's. "I guess we did not really think this through last night," she said as she put on her clothes from yesterday. "We need to stop by my place on the way to JT's"

Vincent stopped in the middle of pulling his shirt over his head, "Yeah not much thinking going on last night. You also need to pack a bag; you're going to be here for awhile."

Catherine smiled, thinking of their shower this morning. "I like the sound of that!"


	5. Chapter 6

A huge THANK YOU! To all that have read my story and are leaving comments. I read them all. The story continues…..

Chapter 6

Catherine called Gabe and asked him to meet her and the others at JT's place. Vincent had gotten to JT's earlier and updated Tess and JT about the plan to have Gabe search for orphans. The mystery man and the "Agency" were going to have to wait.

Gabe explained he had been thinking the same thing and had started compiling a list. There were three people from the orphanage living in NY; Rudy Slavik, Joe Banks, and Samantha Yourk. They split up, Vincent taking off after Slavik, Tess and Cat after Yourk and Gabe and JT after Banks. The idea was too locate and watch, if Sam showed up they were to send a text alert and wait for Vincent before engaging Sam.

Unknown to everyone else, Gabe had already called Sam and given him the same names. Just before leaving JT's place with JT, Gabe made the excuse to hit the bathroom. He quickly called Sam and told him that he and JT were headed to find Banks. Sam should concentrate on Banks and Gabe would run interference if necessary.

Tess and Catherine located Samantha at the bank where she worked. As they sat outside at the Café, Tess finally got a moment to talk with Cat. "How are you doing?" Tess wondered. Catherine thought a moment, "I'm OK, I would go so far as to say that I am good, now that Vincent and I are back together. I know there is a lot going on and the whole genetics thing is freaking me out, but with Vincent I feel like I can face anything." "I had forgotten the effect he has on you." Tess said.

"What do you mean?" Catherine asked. Tess explained, "When you two were together, even when I didn't know you were with him, you were so confident and strong. Then, he was taken and you changed. It's hard to articulate how, but you seemed lost, scattered and confused."

"I was Tess, I am totally lost without him. I know I always took pride in being strong and independent, but I really am better off with him than without him." Tess took a moment. "Maybe being strong and independent is really fighting for what you want and what makes you happy."

Catherine smiled "That is Vincent."

Vincent had found Slavik and was watching him, not much going on here. His mind started to wander, he was worried about Catherine and how she was taking all of this. The last year had been so hard on her and just as she started to get her feet back under her, the rug gets pulled out again. He didn't believe for one second that their feelings for each other were the result of some experiment done to her as a child or to him while in the army. He hoped she believed it as well.

Gabe and JT could not find Banks. They checked his home, work, gym, and were headed to his girlfriend's apartment as a last ditch effort to find him. JT couldn't help himself and asked Gabe how he was doing after losing Cat to Vincent. Gabe replied, "I don't see it as really loosing Cat to Vincent, you could tell she was never really over him, as much as she tried to make me believe she was. I should have known better, I am just glad we are still friends." Internally JT was rolling his eyes; Gabe was just too smooth, slimy really.

Just as Gabe and JT were going to call it quits, they see Banks walking towards his girlfriend's apartment; he was looking all around him and walking quickly, like he was afraid of something. As they watched Sam stepped out of an alley and grabbed Banks. JT called Vincent, Tess and Cat while Gabe took off after Banks. JT lost sight of both of them as they turned into an alley.

Gabe got around the corner, Sam spun around but when he saw it was Gabe he relaxed. Gabe didn't waste any time and explained that Vincent was on his way and Sam needed to get Banks and take him down to the alternate lab. Sam smiled and took off after Banks. JT caught up with Gabe, who was bent over sucking air into his lungs. "I don't know where they went, it's like they just disappeared."

Vincent arrived and tried to track Sam, but just like earlier he could not track him and he didn't have enough information to track Banks. Discouraged they all met back at the Club, Sam now had Banks and they had no idea what his endgame was. Gabe left the club with an excuse that he had some work to do at the office. After he left, Vincent began to track Gabe. JT had felt that something was off about what had happened in the alley.

Gabe met with Sam in the lab. "Thanks for the heads up and the save back there", said Sam. "Forget about it; let's just see if this serum works." Gabe said. Banks was strapped to a table while Sam injected him with JT's serum; Sam explained to Gabe that he added a little something to the mix. "I added a little something that will help us control him. He has to listen to me", said Sam. "To you?" Gabe questioned. "Yeah", Sam explained that it did not do any good to have a beast that they couldn't control. "This way he will do whatever I tell him to and he won't remember what he has done,"

Gabe was angry," I agreed to help you because I was looking for a formula to create a beast that would HAVE control not BE controlled." " Well I am changing the plan a little bit" said Sam. "It doesn't do me any good to have an independent beast. I need one I can control who can destroy and take out the people who killed my son."

Gabe gritted his teeth, he couldn't tell Sam the truth about why he was helping him, and the Agency was doing everything it could to develop beasts that would be controllable and therefore profitable. What Gabe wanted was the ability to control being a beast, much like Vincent apparently could. Gabe missed that feeling of power; he hated being powerless, especially with Vincent back and throwing all his enhanced special abilities in his face. Gabe didn't care about Sam's mission or the "Agency's" plan for Vincent and Catherine; he just wanted to be a beast again. But Sam's serum was not going to help him and if Sam ever got the idea to inject him…Gabe hated being normal, but being a beast under someone else's control was his worst nightmare.

Vincent had tracked Gabe; he called Catherine so she and Tess could meet him. He watched and was shocked that Sam and Gabe appeared to be working together. He was too late to stop them from injecting Banks with the serum but he was not going to let Banks hurt anyone. Catherine and Tess arrived and Vincent advised that as far as he could tell there was only the 3 of them in there and Banks had been injected but he could not tell if he was fully beast or in some kind of transition. They decided to storm the place. Tess would focus on Gabe, Catherine on Sam and Vincent would handle Banks.

Vincent led the way and kicked open the door, Cat and Tess where through the door right behind him weapons drawn. Banks was still strapped to the table and no danger to them. He was obviously going through transition. Gabe ran out the back and Tess took off after him.

Sam turned toward Catherine and sneered at her, "You're not going to shoot me I'm unarmed." She holstered her gun, "Your right, but I am going to kick your ass." Sam smiled and raised his hands, "I don't think so, I think you're going to let me go." Catherine looked at him, "Why in the hell would I do that?" Sam smiled his creepy half smile, "Because, I can give you the antidote to reverse what I did to Banks."

Catherine looked at Vincent, he looked back at her and then at Banks who was moaning. Catherine looked back at Sam,"You can reverse this?"

"Yep, but you're going to have to let me go to get it." Catherine was torn between saving Banks who was right here in front of her, and stopping Sam so he could not go after the other orphans. Catherine looked back at Vincent with the question in her eyes. He nodded his head in her direction, whatever she decided he would back her up. She decided to save Banks.

"Fine we will let you go, but you have to give Banks the antidote, if it doesn't work the deals off and I am taking you in." "How do I know that you'll keep your word" asked Sam?

"Because I said so," Catherine smiled," I guess you'll just have to trust me."

Sam knew he did not have choice; he took the deal and injected Banks from a different vial. It started to work immediately. He was packing up his stuff when Cat told him to leave it. "You are not taking that with you, I will let you walk out of here for now, but you are not taking anything with you." Sam knew when he was beat; he raised his hands and backed up towards the door. He chuckled at Vincent and Catherine, "till we meet again."

Tess came back as Vincent and Catherine were un-strapping Banks from the examination table. Cat had called an ambulance and they arrived and took Banks. "I lost Gabe, he just disappeared."

"Don't worry Tess, I can track him, whatever he was doing with Sam he was not successful and now he knows we are on to him. He will be desperate now and will make a mistake."

Catherine was worried, "Vincent you have to be careful, Gabe will undoubtedly reach out to his contact at the Agency, and while you may be able to take on Gabe, you can't take on the whole Agency." Vincent put his arm around Catherine," Don't worry I won't do anything stupid." Let's head back to JT's and fill him in, I am sure he is going stir crazy about now.

Stir crazy was putting it mildly. JT was in a full tilt panic when they got back. "So Gabe got away and you let Sam go?" JT asked flabbergasted

"Yes" said Vincent, "But we also saved Banks and got both the serum that Sam doctored from your version and an antidote to that serum. Sam for now is no longer an issue, he does not have the serum and I would be surprised if he had any more stashed anywhere, he was pretty protective of this case. He is a problem for another day. Our focus now needs to be on finding Gabe and making sure he does not disappear into the belly of the beast so to speak."

Gabe had no intention of disappearing; he needed the gem in order for the agency to give him the same treatment that Vincent had. Now that he was not going to be able to use Sam to get what he wanted, he was just going to have to come up with another way to force Vincent's hand.

Catherine and Vincent headed back to his boathouse. "I am exhausted; this has been quite a day." Catherine said. Vincent agreed, "A lot of things have happened today, but at the end of the day you and I are still here and we are together." Catherine tilted her face up to look at Vincent, smiling she said "Together we can overcome anything."


	6. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Gabe had disappeared and everyone was nervously waiting to see what he would do next. JT was trying to reverse engineer both the antidote and the serum that Sam had made. Catherine and Vincent were having a little bit of an argument….

"Vincent I have to get back to work on actual NYPD cases. It's not fair to ask Tess to cover for me. I understand that you are worried about me but I can take care of myself."

"Catherine, I can't protect you at work, people will think you have a stalker if I hang around you all day."

"I don't want you hanging around following me all day; you need to work on finding Gabe."

"How am I supposed to do that and keep an eye on you at the same time, do you really expect me just to kiss you good bye, pack you a lunch and say 'Have a great day Honey?"

Catherine stands there silent looking at Vincent; her hands are clenched by her side. She takes a deep breath, "You are going to pack me a lunch?"

Vincent laughs, "What am I going to do with you?" "I don't know but you can spend the rest of the day thinking about it." Catherine says smiling.

She turns serious, "Look, I know you are afraid for me, but you have to trust me, I will be careful. We all have things we need to do. You and I can't stay hold up in here forever; the outside world does not come to a standstill just because we are dealing with some jeopardy."

Vincent knows when he has been beaten; he sighs and pulls Catherine into him. "First I am going to kiss you"….And he does… the kind of kiss where the tingle starts in your mouth but ends in a delicious swirl in your stomach. "Then I am going to remind you to eat lunch." Next he leans down and whispers in her ear, his warm breath tickling her. "Have a great day, Honey."

Catherine is weak in the knees; Vincent's arms are the only thing holding her up. She opens her eyes and looks at Vincent, "Well played."

Gabe watched as Catherine arrived at the precinct. She was finally away from Vincent, now he just needed to get her alone. He had grabbed Catherine once before and got Vincent to come to him, hopefully lightening does strike twice.

Tess was happy to see Cat "I have a fraud case here that is driving me crazy. This old guy got taken for $33,000 dollars, looks like some sort of reverse mortgage fraud. You are so much better talking to the elderly than I am." Tess said. Catherine smiled, "Its cause you're so intimidating, you scare them."

Tess explained to Cat. "The guy is in a nursing home recovering from a fall, I think the suspect might be someone from the nursing home, we need to talk to him and get a search warrant for his bank records."

Cat volunteered to go to the nursing him to talk to the victim while Tess started drafting the SW. "Vincent has kept me cooped up for days; some fresh (nursing home) air is just what I need. I will touch base with you after I get done, I should be able to meet you at the courthouse to get the SW signed."

Cat left the precinct and Gabe followed, just waiting for an opportunity. It presented itself faster than he thought it would. Instead of driving right to the nursing home, Cat pulled up just down the street from her favorite coffee shop. She got out of the car and walked down the street to the café. Gabe could not believe his luck.

He drove down the street, parked and went into the coffee shop via the back entrance. Once inside he slipped a $20 to one of the bus boys along with a note that said "coffee shop roof" He knew that Catherine thinking it was Vincent would come up.

Vincent meantime was trying to track Gabe from the lab, which was the last place they knew Gabe had been. Vincent tracked Gabe all over the city; it appeared that he had gotten a room at some flea bag flop house as his scent was concentrated there. Unfortunately he was not there now and it was difficult to track from there because he must have come and gone from here a few times in the last few days. His scent went off in multiple directions. Vincent decided to find a good place to keep an eye on the flop house for when Gabe did come back.

Catherine smiled as she read the note, even if she was a little frustrated that Vincent had followed her from the precinct. Given all they had been through neither one of them was prepared to lose the other one ever again. So she decided to give him some slack instead of a piece of her mind. As she opened the door to the roof, her eyes took a minute to adjust to the bright light and she was shocked to see Gabe standing there, pointing a gun at her.

"What in the…." Catherine was interrupted by Gabe. "I'd like to say I'm sorry for this, but considering what you have put me through these last few weeks, I'm really not." "Gabe" Catherine says as she raises her hands, "You don't have to do this. You have come so far, I am sorry that I couldn't love you, but this is not you. You are better than this."

Gabe still pointing the gun at her said "take out your weapon and lay it on the ground." Catherine did as he asked. "Now what?" "Now we take a little ride and wait for Vincent." Gabe fails to notice that Catherine has dropped the note he tricked her with.

Vincent was waiting near the flop house when his phone rang, it was Tess. Vincent's stomach dropped even before he answered. "What is wrong, where is Catherine?" Tess did not waste any time, "I don't know, she was supposed to follow up on a case we are working and meet me at the courthouse, she never showed and when I call her cell, I just get her voicemail and I called the nursing home she was headed to and she never made it.

"Where was the last place you saw her?" Vincent asks as if he didn't already know. "Here at the precinct." "Sit tight Tess, I am on my way."

Vincent starts to track Catherine from the precinct. Tess is with him, feeling guilty for letting Catherine go off alone. "Don't worry Tess we will find her and then I am going to wring her neck for going off on her own. You know as well as I do that there is nothing you could have done." Tess acknowledge the truth in that, "Your right but that doesn't mean I am not going to kick her ass, after I give her a huge hug once we find her!"

Vincent tracks Catherine to the coffee shop. Tess talks to the staff and finds the bus boy who gave Catherine the note. He describes Gabe to a T. "At least we know that Gabe has her and not the "Agency" says Tess. They go up to the roof and Vincent spots the note where Catherine left it. "Dammit, no wonder she came up here, she thought she was meeting me."

Vincent held the note, his eyes turned golden and he growled, "If he hurts her, there won't be anywhere he can hide that I won't find him."

"Can you tell if she is hurt at all?" asks Tess. Vincent explains that he does not smell any blood and really can't even smell fear so he is pretty sure she is probably pissed off more than anything else. "Let's keep tracking them."

Gabe has taken Catherine to the abandoned Murfield farmhouse, the one they searched last year while looking for her Mom. "Don't get too comfortable," Gabe tells Catherine, "I don't think it will take Vincent too long to track you down." Gabe ties Catherine to a chair and rigs up a shotgun to a dead man rig.

"Gabe, what are you going to do, Vincent is going to come for me and he is going to kill you, how does this help you?" "Vincent is not going to kill me, if the tension in this wire lets go, even for an instant you will take a shotgun blast to the head. Not even Vincent is that fast. He is going to get me the Gem, I am then going to give it to the "Agency" and they will give me the same upgrades that Vincent has. Beast power with control."

"That is what this is all about? You want to be a beast again? Why?"

"Why? Are you serious? Do you have any idea what it is like to just be human again after tasting that power?" Catherine trying to understand said "But all this time you have been trying to save beasts with your flat lining theory, you wanted to save Vincent, when did that change?"

"Catherine, it was never about saving Vincent, it was about taking away his beast, if he had died in the process…. Once he came back supercharged, I realized that there was a way to have all the benefits of being a beast with none of the negative side effects. I knew that as long as he was a beast he would never let me go back to being a beast. I can't be worried about him tracking me down and taking me out." "Then you shouldn't have taken Catherine." Vincent says as he walks in the front door.


	7. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Catherine looked up to see Vincent standing in the doorway. He looked magnificent. Beautiful, tall, strong and really pissed off. His eyes locked on hers, they softened as they rested on her, then hardened again as he looked at Gabe.

"If you hurt her, I will kill you. In fact I may kill you just for bringing her here."

"Vincent, I am ok, he did not hurt me."

Gabe looked at Vincent. "You take one step and I release the tension on this line and she takes a shotgun blast to the head. I haven't hurt her and I won't as long you bring me the Gem."

Vincent cocked his head, "This is about the Gem?"

"I already explained to Catherine, but I want the gem in order to give it to the Agency, they in turn will turn me into a beast, like you. That's all I want. I don't want to hurt anyone." I don't plan on exposing Catherine to them, I understand what they want from you both. You could run away and hide; if they can't find you they can't use the Gem against you.

"So that is your plan, I get you the Gem, you let Catherine go and we go on the run? "I should have killed you months ago when I found you at my boathouse."

Gabe took a deep breath, "Look we both know that you are not going to do anything to me, not while I am holding this wire. So just bring me the Gem and you will never see me again."

Vincent looked at Catherine, she lifted her chin and said "I will be fine, he won't hurt me, and you don't have to do this." Vincent smiled at her, "You might be fine, but I can't take a chance with your life, I love you and I will be back."

Vincent turned to Gabe, "I will be back with the Gem, if anything happens to Catherine I will end you and it will be painful and I will enjoy it."

Gabe swallowed the lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat. "I won't hurt her as long as you bring me the Gem, that's all I want."

Vincent took one last long look at Catherine. He noticed the tears in her eyes, "I have to do this Catherine." "I know"…she took a deep breath," just come back to me."

"Always" Then he was gone.

Catherine looked at Gabe, "All the work he has done to undo the programming they did to him, he fought so hard to get his humanity back and I will lose him when he kills you. Gabe you have to realize he will never forgive you for this, not again."

"Catherine he will be busy saving you, he won't care about me, by the time he rescues you I will be long gone."

Gabe dissembled the rigged shotgun. At gunpoint he forced Catherine upstairs and into an old claw foot tub. He handcuffed her to the faucet and duct taped her feet together, he then secured her feet so she could not get out of the tub. He then turned on the water. He stopped when it got to her neck. "We'll just wait for Vincent."

Vincent left the farmhouse and headed for the cemetery. He called Tess and JT to update them. JT was not happy, but he agreed to meet Vincent at the cemetery with Tess.

They both found Vincent standing in front of William's grave, holding the Gem. "This is where you hid the gem?" asked JT. "Yep, I figured no one would look for it here."

Tess suggested they just give Gabe another Gem, "I am sure I can find one similar in evidence. You can pretend not to be able to beast out, rescue Cat, then track his ass down and kill him!"

"Tess I can't risk Catherine's life, I am pretty sure that Gabe is not that stupid. I can't take that chance, not with Catherine, not now, I just got her back."

"They are at the old Murfield farmhouse, I will go and get Catherine, you two hang back and see if you can see where he goes.

Vincent arrived at the farmhouse, he stood still a minute. He couldn't hear anything. Having the Gem on him was blocking his ability to hear her heartbeat. He walked in the front door to the sight of Gabe standing alone pointing a gun at him. "Where is Catherine?"

"I know I don't have to tell you to calm down since your holding the Gem, but calm down, she is fine. She is up those stairs behind you. Set the Gem down on the table and you can save her."

"Save her? From what" Vincent realized that he could hear water running.

"Drowning….I didn't think you would just give me the Gem and let me walk away. Catherine is upstairs in a tub that is filling with water, it was at her head when you got here, so you can choose to kill me or save her."

Vincent didn't miss a beat, he dropped the Gem on the table and raced upstairs to Catherine, "CATHERINE!"

Gabe grabbed the Gem and ran outside and took off in his car. JT and Tess are not far behind.

The sight that greets Vincent as he raced into the bathroom puts lead in his stomach. Catherine is completely submerged in the water and she is still….

"CATHERINE!" He yells as he rushes the tub, he beasts out and breaks the handcuffs, he pulls her out of the water and lays her out on the floor. "Catherine, come on breathe dammit." He forces her head back and breathes for her, "Come on, come on, Catherine breathe!" He breathes for her again. "Catherine please, please don't do this, Breathe Dammit!" Catherine coughs up water; Vincent rolls her on her side. "Oh Thank God." He pulls her close and she continues to cough. "You're OK, you're going to be OK."

Catherine grabs on to Vincent, she starts sobbing.. "I'm so sorry" she cries. "Hey, you are not to blame, you are safe and that is all that matters." They sit on the floor soaking wet hanging on to each other.

Vincent takes Catherine to a hotel and asks JT and Tess to bring them both some clothes and toiletries. I don't want to take Catherine to the boathouse or her apartment just in case." JT and Tess arrive while Catherine is in the shower.

"This is a good idea," said Tess. "Gabe went into a corporate building downtown. I have the address. Chances are he has already turned over the Gem. How is Cat?"

She is going to be fine, we both are, she is upset right now, but I am waiting for pissed to show up she is going to be pretty mad at herself for getting caught and at me for turning over the Gem." Tess laughed "You do know her well don't you?

"Vincent are you OK?" JT asks, "Promise me you are not going to after Gabe right now.

"JT, I have to stay with Catherine tonight, I will deal with Gabe tomorrow, go and spend some time with your girlfriend." JT sounded relieved and put his arm around Tess, "OK, catch ya later big guy!"

Catherine was still in the shower. Vincent checked on her, what he saw broke his heart; she was curled up in the corner of the shower, head down and arms around her knees. He got into the shower with her clothes and all. He sat down and pulled her into his arms. "Hey everything is going to be ok."

Cat looked at him, "No it's not Vincent, and it's never going to be alright. The Agency has the Gem now and they won't stop til they find us." "Catherine, we have been here before and we are still standing, and we are together and nothing and no one is ever going to come between us ever again.

He lifted her chin with his hand; "Look at me" Catherine lifted her eyes and looked at him. "I love you and I will always choose you, we will deal with Gabe and the Gem and the Agency tomorrow. He placed both hands on the side of her face, "Tonight I just want to love you and marvel in you. She smiled at him and placed her hands on the side of his face caressing where his scar used to be, she leaned and captured his lips.

She kissed him tenderly at first, then with more passion. Vincent stood up and brought her up with him. He angled her head and kissed her deeper. "Vincent" Catherine breathed, "You still have your clothes on, get them off." She slides her hands under his shirt, letting her hands move along his muscular side, her hands roam over his chest and her thumbs flick his nipples. Vincent's breathe catches in his lungs. He pulls his t-shirt up over his head. Catherine is kissing his chest as she unbuttons his jeans and tries to slide them down, but they are soaking wet, Vincent groans and he can feel Catherine smiling against his stomach as she works her way down. She looks up at Vincent. "Get these off now!" Vincent summons his beast and rips the pants right off.

Catherine runs her hands down his thighs, keeping pace with the water she holds him in her hand and she lightly flicks her tongue against the tip of him as he jerks and twitches it's as if his cock has a life of its own and knows what comes next. She takes him in her mouth and swirls her tongue around the tip, flexing her throat to take him as deep as possible. Vincent bunches her hair in his hands and leans his head back against the shower wall as he thrusts into her mouth. Catherine growls while he is in her mouth and the vibration turns his spine to jelly.

He stops her and lifts her up and she wraps her legs around his waist. He keeps one hand around her waist while the other roams up her side and around her neck, He kisses her, she opens her eyes and looks at him, "I love you Vincent." Vincent trails kisses down her neck and lifts her even higher so he can kiss her breasts. The pink pert nipples draw up as his tongue swirls around; he showers attention on one and then the other. Her head goes back as she arches forward. Vincent lifts her and impales her on his shaft. They both are still, foreheads resting against each other, breathing heavily. Then Catherine flexes her hips and begins to ride him as the water washes over them.


	8. Chapter9

Chapter 9

After getting out of the shower, Vincent wrapped up Catherine in a towel. "Here let me dry your hair."

Vincent wraps a towel around his waist. Catherine sits on the bed between Vincent's legs while he rubs

her hair dry. As he rubbed she relaxed and as she relaxed her mind was able to process everything that

had happened in the last few days. 

"What are we going to do?" She asked him.

"Well, tomorrow I will track Gabe and if he leads me to the Agency then so much the better." Catherine

gave Vincent a look…." You will track? You mean we will track?

"No I mean I will track, Catherine you heard what your Father said, the Agency wants you too, there is

no way I am letting you put yourself at risk." 

Let me put myself at risk, what is this the 1950's? There is no way you are going into this alone. I will

not sit idly by while you put yourself in danger. I spent 3 months looking for you last time these people

had you and I would rather be captive with you than out here alone." 

"Catherine" Vincent starts to say something but Catherine cuts him off. "This is not up for discussion,

how many time do we have to do this? We are better off together than we are alone. WE have a better

chance of survival if WE are together; WE have a better shot at stopping Gabe and the Agency if WE are

TOGETHER! Get that through your thick skull." 

"Fine" he smiles, WE are better off together, now can WE stop talking and do something else that WE

are really good at together?" He says with one eye brow arched. Catherine turns around in his lap, on

her knees, smiles and unwraps the towel, flinging it behind her. "Whatever could you be talking

about?" 

Vincent lets his eye's go golden and growls, Catherine's breath quickens, Vincent can hear her heart

beat faster. 

Catherine unwraps Vincent's towel, she tugs and he lifts his hips so she can pull the towel from under

him. They stare at each other….for several heart beats, she leans forward and he pulls her to him.

They are like magnets that can't be kept apart. She puts her arms around his neck as he lifts her up so

she can wrap her legs around him. His cock is seated against her; she can feel the pulse beating against

her clit. 

He has one arm around her back and the other caresses the side of her face. She leans her face into his

palm and stares at his mouth, her tongue darts out to lick her lips and that is Vincent's undoing. He pulls

her face to his and captures her mouth with his. Their tongues battle each other for dominance.

Catherine moans and pushes herself against Vincent, grinding against him. She kisses his neck as his

eyes roll back into his head. He grabs the back of her head to keep her there as he kisses her shoulders,

nibbling a path up the side of her neck, his tongue darts in her ear and she shivers in response. 

He leans her back on the bed; she arches her body as if desperate for the feel of him. He lays a path of

kisses down her neck and traps her nipple between his teeth. 

Catherine is panting now desperate for him to be inside her. "Vincent" she says her voice low and

breathless. He lifts his head and looks into her eyes as he enters her. She arches her neck back and

closes her eyes savoring the feel of him filling her, stretching her.

He starts to thrust slowly at first, quickening his pace as she grabs his ass and flexes her hands. He lets

her set the pace and she goes wild against him. 

Vincent looks down at Catherine as she is sleeping, his arms tighten around her and she smiles in her

sleep. He places a small kiss on the top of her head, rests his cheek against it and falls asleep with smile

of his own. 

Vincent touches base with JT and Tess in the morning. "Any luck reversing the beast serum?" JT replies,

"Not yet, at least I don't think so. What's going on?"

"I am going to track Gabe with Catherine and I would really like to know you have an antidote in case we

find Gabe and he is a beast already. I want to be able to reverse it." 

JT rolls his eyes, "I don't know why we would care but I will keep working on it" 

Catherine and Vincent head to the address Tess gave them last night. Vincent starts to track Gabe.

"He has to be here somewhere, let's start at the bottom and work our way up. Call Tess and see what

she can find out about this building."

Catherine calls Tess, after doing some digging Tess finds that the building is owned by Rognvrald

Industries. Tess offers, "I can do some more digging on the company." "Ok let me know what you find

out." 

"Rognvrald, sounds Nordic" says Vincent. 

Vincent and Catherine search the building and although Vincent can tell that Gabe has been there he is

not there now. Vincent can also tell that a helicopter was on the roof recently. Catherine is worried,

"He must have gone on that helicopter, and we have to find out more about Rognvrald Industries." 

Back at JT's, Tess explains the results of her research. "Rognvrald Industries is a subsidiary corporation

owned by Rognvrald International. Rognvrald International is a privately held company based in the

Netherlands. There is no public information on them." 

JT interjects, "It looks like Rognvrald has their hands into everything; Mining, Medical, Engineering, and

Finance. Also has anyone noticed what Rognvrald sounds like? 3 blank faces are staring back at him. 

JT Googles Rognvrald, "It's basically the original form of Reynolds!" 

Catherine sinks down and Vincent catches her and helps her to sit on the edge of the desk. "Oh My

God! My family is behind all of this?" Catherine looks at Vincent, "We have to go see my Father."


	9. Chapter 10

Sorry Chapter 9 was so short, episode 2x15 has me mesmerized and I can't stop watching it long enough to write! Thank you dear readers and reviewers, I really appreciate all of the kind words. The story continues….

Chapter 10

Catherine and Vincent meet with Reynolds. Catherine explains Rognvrald International. Bob looks stunned, "Catherine you have to believe that I knew nothing about this. I had no idea who or what was behind all of this."

Catherine looks at Vincent with the question in her eyes. Vincent nods his head. "He is telling the truth."

Catherine looked at Bob, "Then you are no help to me." At that she turns and walks away.

Vincent approached Bob's cell. "I know that everything you did, you did because you love her and wanted to protect her. In time she will understand that, but for now…."

"Vincent you have to protect her. I know this is not enough, but I am sorry. I was wrong about you, I can see that you love her and I am sorry I did what I did to keep you away from her. If this is all true and we are related somehow to these people, and they are this old and powerful, they will never stop looking for both of you. This group or this family…It's too big to fight, you have to take her and run…"

Vincent looked at Bob, "You really don't know Catherine."

Vincent came out into the lobby and Catherine was standing against the wall waiting for him. As he came up to her, she put her hand up, palm out. "I do not want to hear what you two talked about in there." Vincent didn't say anything, just put his arms around her and pulled her close. He kissed the top of her head and said, "Let's go see JT"

JT and Tess were eating pizza and drinking beer in their PJ's. They were not expecting to see Vincent and Catherine again tonight. So the look on all their faces when Vincent came in calling JT's name was priceless.

"Cat!"

"Tess?"

"Vincent!"

"Whoa" Vincent chuckled looking at Catherine. "I totally forgot you did not know about this."

"YOU knew about this?" Catherine turned to Vincent. "Well yeah, since Valentine's Day, I just forgot about it in my quest to get you back." He walked up to her and put his hand on the side of her face, looking into her eyes. "We have been a little busy." He said with sly grin.

Catherine immediately melted, and laid her head into his hand. JT cleared his throat…"Sorry to interrupt, but what are you two doing here?"

"Nevermind that….how…what….Is he Thanksgiving?" Catherine looked at Tess and JT.

Tess looked softly at JT, "Yes he is, and Valentine's Day too" JT came up to Tess and put his arm around her. "You guys want some pizza?

An hour later and with appetites satisfied, they all sat down to try and figure out what to do next.

"I'm sorry that your Dad, Bob, Daddy Reynolds, whatever…. did not have any answers for you." Tess said. "Well at least I know now that he is no more use to us." Said Catherine, shrugging her shoulders.

"For now," interrupted Vincent placing his hand on her shoulder. "You never know what might happen down the road. I understand that your angry with him, believe me I do, but he is your last living relative and I don't think you should close that door completely." Catherine just grunted, which just made Vincent smile more.

"Maybe we should look through the file boxes that your Mom had?" JT asked Catherine, "Back when we were looking for a cure for Vincent's fugue states your Dad, Daddy Chandler, had all your Mom's files. Maybe she knew something about the company she worked for. She would be closer to them than Bob would have since he was in government and she worked directly for them."

"Do you think she could have known about all of this?" Catherin asked? JT shrugged his shoulders and said "I have no idea, I am just making this up as I go along, but it makes sense right? You are a beast wrangler; your Mom was responsible for helping to develop the beast serum."

Vincent was staring off into space…."She said she was doing this to protect her daughters." Vincent's voice was hollow. He shook himself, "Back in Afghanistan, we were talking and she told me that she was doing this for her daughters." He looked at Catherine, "Did I never say that before?"

"This is the first time I am hearing it, I wonder what else you don't remember?"

"And my Father is now dead so I can't ask him, he must have known and that is why they killed him last year." Catherine stands up frustrated, pacing back and forth "How in the hell was all this going on around me and I never saw it?"

Tess stood up as well. "Why would you? You don't remember being sick and how much attention does any kid pay to what their parents are doing? You didn't even know that your Dad was not your Dad until last year. Your parents were protecting you….That is what parents do; don't be angry at them for that, I am sure they had no idea that all this would happen. They certainly never could have foreseen you meeting Vincent and your Mom might not have known of the side effect of the therapy you had and its effect on beasts."

Catherine looked at Vincent and at her friends. "So we need to find those boxes.

JT reaching for the Tums said "What about Gabe, he could be a beast already and come after any of us."

Tess sat down on his lap and said "Don't worry I will protect you", she leaned in and kissed him. JT smiled at her, but then said "I am serious, you two have guns and Vincent is well Vincent, but I got nothing.

Vincent looks around and finds the tranq gun. "Just keep this with you all the time, or at least when Tess isn't around to protect you," Vincent said smirking.

Vincent looked at the group of people, he loved them all and was so afraid that something was going to happen one of them. Dealing with Beasts had been their focus for so long, especially JT. Would any of them know what to do with a normal life?

"Look, I don't think Gabe is going to come looking for us, I got the impression that he wanted to go back to being a beast for the power it gave him. He will get as far away from me as he can right now. So don't drop your guard, but I think that Rognvrald is our biggest concern right now.'

Catherine spoke up, "We have to assume they have the Gem, Vincent and could control you if they got a hold of you. What I don't understand is why they haven't come for us yet?"

"I don't know but I don't want to wait around for them to find us, I am not going back into hiding or on the run. I say we bring the fight to them, so let's go find those boxes."

After Thomas' death, Brooke had sold the house and placed all of the items from Catherine's parents shared past into storage.

JT said, "We can meet in the morning at the storage facility."

Catherine looked at Tess, "After WE meet for coffee, apparently we have a lot to catch up on!"

Catherine and Vincent left the club and headed back to the boathouse.

JT and Tess cuddled back up on the couch. JT placed a kiss on Tess's forehead, "Sorry about that"

Tess frowned, "About what, Cat finding out?"

"Yeah, I know you wanted to keep it secret." JT loves the crinkle she gets between her eyes when she scrunches up her nose and he absently smoothes it with his thumb.

"Well, not really a secret, I mean Vincent knew, I just haven't been able to tell Cat, I didn't want to hurt her feelings, she has been so messed up for the last few months and even though she chose Gabe at Valentines I could tell she still loved Vincent and I felt bad that you and I were falling in love at the same time she was struggling so hard, and I knew…"

"WAIT! What did you just say?"

"What?"

JT could barely breathe, "You just said falling in love."

Tess and JT stare at each other… She leans towards him and softly says "Did I? He mirrors her and leans towards her, he is staring at her mouth, and he has always been enthralled by her mouth. "Yeah you did."

She leans a little more, "Well I never say anything I don't mean." She places her hands on the side of his face, pulls him towards her and says with her lips just about touching his. "JT, I am falling in love with you." She stares into his eyes, he takes a deep breath, not believing his own ears, and then he places his hand on the back of her head and closes the distance between them.

This kiss is different than the ones before, this kiss has meaning and a promise, this kiss says I am here to stay and I want to see where this goes.

Tess has crawled up into JT's lap as they kissed and he picks her up. She loves that he is big and strong enough to pick her up like she was a petite little thing, no one ever makes her feel small and cherished, not like he does. He carries her into the bedroom, for now she lets him take control; "Intimidating Tess" will be back in the morning.

"Vincent I'm scared" Catherine said to Vincent as he was pouring her a glass of wine.

"Of what?"

"I am scared that this is just too big for us to take on. This agency, family or whatever you want to call them has been around for hundreds of years, how are we supposed to stop them.

"I don't know exactly."

Vincent hands Catherine her glass and clinks it against his beer bottle. "We will figure something out; maybe something in your Mom's files will give us a direction?"

"Maybe but….." Vincent stops Catherine talking by kissing her; she pulls back and looks into his eyes. She is scared but finds strength in those hazel pools.

Vincent smiles at her, "We will figure this out tomorrow, tonight let's just enjoy the here and now, and we have a lot of catching up to do."

Catherine wraps her arms around Vincent's neck and kisses him, leaning the length of her body against his. Vincent wraps one hand around her neck and the other skims down her back to cup her against him. She can feel the hardness of his chest and thighs pressed against her length as well as the hardness of the only thing that can fill her.

Her hands slide down his arms worshiping the strength they contain. His hand continues to kneed her ass as his other hand adjusts her head to kiss her deeper.

Vincent breaks their kiss; he is breathless and stares at her. She is his humanity, even when she brings out the beast in him; he can still feel her there holding his human soul in her hands.

He takes her hands and holds them to his chest, Catherine frowns and presses up against him desperate for the feel of his chest against hers. She looks up at him a question in her eyes.

"Catherine" he says her name and she is wet and ready for him, he can tell she is aroused. Her heart is racing and her breath is heavy. Her eyes are heavy as they look up at him wanting, waiting.

"I promise you no matter what happens I will always be with you, we will never be separated again. I will not let them take you away from me. You are my life, you hold my soul in your keeping and I promise that nothing will ever change that. I can take a lot of things but I can't live without you, not ever again."

With those words he kisses her senseless, Catherine desperate to let Vincent know that the same is true for her, kisses him back with an intensity that borders on madness. Tongues swirling, licking and flicking.

Catherine pulls back; she holds Vincent's face in her hands. "Vincent, promise me that you won't let them take me. I can't be separated from you again, if it looks like they are going to win, you have to make sure they don't take me alive." She looks at him holding his gaze. "Promise me Vincent!"

He stares back at her, and he takes her face in his hands he says "I promise."

Vincent picks Catherine up; she wraps her legs around his waist as he walks her upstairs to the bed. Setting her down gently, still kissing her he lays her down.

He breaks the kiss, pulls back and looks at her, her face is flushed, chest heaving. He smiles as he unbuttons her shirt, exposing the ivory lace bra she is wearing.

"You have beautiful breasts," he molds his hands around them, pushing them together to place a kiss in the space between the swell. He runs his hands down her sides and comes to her waistband.

"Such a tiny waist on such a powerful woman." He says as he unbuttons her jeans and slides them off, his hands lingering on her thighs on the way back up. He buries his nose at her center," God you smell so good" His finger dips inside her panties as he places his lips against the ivory lace panties she is wearing. She is writhing around, back arching, hips flexing. He puts one finger inside her as his mouth fastens on her clit, sucking through the lace.

"Damn Vincent" is all Catherine can say as Vincent places another finger inside her, her hips are bucking now, her hands grab his head and hold him there as she rides his hand. He can feel her starting to come, the small tremors that will grow. He withdrawals his fingers and lifts his head, giving her a chance to catch her breath.

Catherine is panting now, eyes glowing as if she is the beast. She gets up on her hands and knees and pushes Vincent up onto his knees. She runs her hands over his shoulders, down his arms and grabs his shirt, it's a button down and she rips the shirt off of him. Buttons pop off and go flying. Vincent lets his eye's glow for a minute. She rubs her hands over his chest, flicking his nipples with her fingertips.

His breath catches. She moves her hand down to his waistband. "Get these off" Vincent stands and makes quick work of his pants. He stands at the edge of the bed; Catherine sits back on her heels in front of him.

She leans down and takes him in her hand, feeling the length of him; one hand reaching to cup the heavy weight of his sac, as the other strokes the tip, feeling the small bead of moisture there. Catherine lowers her head and takes him in her mouth, her tongue swirling around the sensitive tip.

She grabs his ass with both of her hands as he thrusts into her mouth. His hand cups the back of her head to gently hold her there. She opens her throat to him and growls, the vibration nearly makes him come. He gently pulls back and lifts her up onto her knees. He kisses her, he can taste himself in her mouth, and she can taste herself in his.

Catherine lies down on the bed, Vincent covers her with his body, she opens for him and he slides inside. They move slowly, gently rocking in a rhythm all their own, yet as old as time. Catherine arches her neck and Vincent laves kisses up alongside. He lifts his head and looks into her eyes as he leans in to kiss her lips. She caresses the side of his face where his scar used to be and runs her hands through his short hair as she pulls him closer for another kiss. Their tongue seeking each other, desperate to be entwined.

Catherine wraps her legs around Vincent's waist and urges him deeper, harder and faster. They are both breathing heavy. Vincent buries his face in that spot between her shoulder and neck as Catherine runs her hands down Vincent's back, rubbing hard in that dip he has right at the top of his ass.

He can feel her start to come apart, he quickens his pace, thrusting deeper and faster as only a beast can. She starts to tremble, she is milking him, then stars explode and he comes inside her, his eyes glowing golden as he growls.

After, they lay curled up in bed, Catherine has her head on his shoulder and she falls asleep in the shelter of his arms.

Vincent was still awake, as he lay there with her in his arms, he was terrified. He meant it earlier when he told her he could not live without her again. They had been separated once, and then lost to each other because of the things they had done to him and the things he had done because of it.

His fear wasn't being captured or even tortured, if that happened again he would make them kill him; he would not be turned into a monster again. His fear was if they got a hold of Catherine, would he have to kill her too?

.


	10. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Catherine already had her Café Americana and was waiting for Tess, when she walked in the café. Tess got her Dry non-fat Double shot and sat down with Catherine.

"Good Morning," Tess greeted Catherine.

"Don't you Good Morning me, spill it!"

"Jeez give a girl a moment to caffeinate will ya?" Tess laughed. "Look I am sorry I did not tell you about JT. It's just you were going through so much after Thanksgiving and I really wasn't exactly sure what was going on with JT, so I just never said anything."

"Forgiven"

Tess looks at Catherine questionably,

"Really, just like that?"

"Yes, really just like that, after everything I have done in the last year and a half, no judgments, but I do want details, lots and lots of details!"

Tess smiled, "not much detail to give, we kissed on Thanksgiving, slept together on Valentines Day and have been together since then."

"That is so not what I am talking about. I don't want a play by play but I want details; how do you feel about him?

"I think I am falling for him, he is like no guy I ever dated, he's smart and he is sweet and tender and is the first guy to make me feel mushy." Tess blushes.

"MUSHY, no way you?"

"Yes, me! Catherine, you know me, I come across as tough and intimidating and I can be both those things, and most guys really like a girl who can kick their ass and wears a gun, but that gets exhausting. With JT, I am just Tess, he talks to me, and he has the ability to make me feel small and dainty. I never feel small and dainty, especially hanging out with you all the time."

"Hey" Catherine smiles.

"You know what I mean. But seriously, JT is just real; I mean he's the guy who hid and protected Vincent for 10 years, that says a lot about a guy and his character. He would never hurt me. I feel really safe with him.

Catherine has the decency to look awkward as she asks, "What about you know….sex?"

Tess grins, "He is very smart and really knows his anatomy, and I think he had like 12 units of it!"

They both laugh and just like that all is right in their world.

Tess and Cat meet up with Vincent and JT at the storage facility.

"Hey" Vincent says in that sexy way that is his alone.

Catherine smiles at him and then turns to smile even bigger to JT. "Good Morning JT, sleep well last night?"

JT looks at Tess, who is looking at the floor smiling.

"Ah yeah, sure, slept like a baby. Thanks for asking." JT looks chagrined.

Catherine nods her head and then gives JT and huge hug.

"What was that for?" JT asks Catherine. Again looking at Tess, who is now looking back at him with a smile.

"No reason, just happy is all." Catherine says still grinning stupidly at him.

Vincent sees how uncomfortable JT is and steps in to the rescue. He slides his hand around Catherine's waist and asks.

"Where is my hug this morning?"

Suitably distracted, Catherine gives Vincent a kiss and a hug.

All right, let's get this party started.

It took forever to load up all the boxes in the van JT borrowed from the university. As they were getting ready to leave, Tess wondered out loud. "Where should we go through this stuff?" Looking at JT and Vincent, "You are both out in the open now and our apartments aren't a secret either."

Vincent had already thought of this, "I have someplace in mind, we can use the Curio Shop."

"The Curio Shop?" Catherine said looking at Vincent.

"Yeah, Tori never actually sold it, and she made me her heir, so now I technically own it, but I can't imagine anyone actually looking for us here."

There was stunned silence and all three of them were staring at Vincent. He looked at all of them, "What?...Do you think this is a bad idea?"

JT and Tess decided they desperately needed to double check the storage container and ran back into the building.

"What?" Vincent looks at Catherine.

"Tori made you her heir? And just when were you planning on telling me about this?"

"I figured you already knew. I have no job, and at this point while I would like to go back to being a Dr, I have been a little busy and saving the day does not exactly pay the rent. What in the world did you think I was doing for money?"

Catherine looked sheepish, "To be honest I had not thought a lot about it, I figured you had money left over from your Beast Mission days."

"Nope, that stopped when you stopped your father. Look, it's no big deal, Tori did not have anyone else and I tried to get her to leave it to charity, but she felt she owed me for not abandoning her and teaching her how to control her beast. So when she was meeting with the lawyers after her Father's death, she took control of her Father's assets and listed me as her heir"

Vincent looked sad, "In the end, I was all she had. I gave a lot of the money to charity and just kept enough to live on, it's not a lot, but it's invested and I can live off it. I kept the curio shop just because of its connection to the beast skeleton."

Catherine took a deep breath, she had no cause to judge Vincent, they had been broken up and Tori had every right to do what she wanted with her money. Vincent had taken Tori in, even if it was because of the beast attraction, he still had helped her cope with being a beast. What was important now was that they were together and they had a safe haven to operate out of.

Vincent looked at Catherine "Are we ok?" He wondered, he wasn't sure how Catherine would take this news and that was one of the reasons he had not brought it up.

"Yes, we're good, I'm sorry Vincent, it just caught me off guard, but its fine."

Catherine placed her hand on Vincent's arm, "Once again we owe Tori, not just for saving JT, but for this too. This is a good thing Vincent." Catherine said as she rose up and kissed him.

Vincent smiled and yelled for JT and Tess to come out of the storage. "Let's go."

At the curio shop they started going through the boxes. There was a ton of medical files and more green notebooks, like the one Vanessa had kept on Vincent. In going through the green notebooks, it became clear that Vincent was different.

He was the only one who had never exhibited the uncontrolled rage and transformation that had doomed the other members of his unit. Every one of them had fugue states, when their bodies were in the process of developing a new ability. According to Vanessa's notes there was no way to determine when or how long the fugue states would last and what abilities would present.

After poring over the files for several hours, Tess finally found something significant. She found a journal, it looked old. It was leather, with weathered pages and the whole thing was held together with string. Tess carefully opened it and read the inscription.

"Whoa" she said, "This you have to see Catherine."

Catherine took the journal from Tess and looked at the inscription.

These are my private thoughts, ones I dare not put in the file I have been working on for Scotland Yard, yet I do not want to forget even a moment of this time with Lucas. I am not sure how long it will last, but no matter what; I want some proof that he existed, that we loved each other and that we were together.

Rebecca

London 1836

"Oh my God, this is Rebecca's personal journal."

"Vincent" Catherine said looking at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears "Lucas must have been Rebecca's beast."


	11. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Catherine held the journal reverently. "She loved him." Catherine said sadly. "I wonder if those were his claw marks you found in the dungeon. What do you think happened to them?"

"They loved each other." Vincent said as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Why don't you find a quiet place to look through that and the rest of us will keep looking at files to see if we can find out anything else." JT said.

Catherine spent the rest of the day reading Rebecca's journal.

Vincent was splitting his attention from Catherine, who was pretty emotional (her heartbeat was all over the place), while she was reading and the files looking for anything else.

By the end of the day it was obvious to everyone that Vanessa Chandler had been focused on the health of all the test subjects, she might have gotten into this business to help Catherine, but her priority was to make sure that anyone involved with these tests was safe and healthy. Her notes were crazy detailed on everyone's physical condition and what specific cocktail they were given, but no mention of who might have been behind this. If Vanessa Chandler knew anything about Rognvrald, she did not write it down. So why did she have Rebecca's journal in there? It was out of place with all the medical files Vanessa had kept.

Vincent walked over to Catherine. "Hey" he said in that sexy style that was all his own. "Any chance your Mom had a personal journal too? Something she might have written down her thoughts and feelings about what was going on and how she came to be in possession of Rebecca's journal?"

Catherine still holding the journal as gently as a newborn said. "I don't know, I can ask Heather, I was not living at home when Mom was killed and I don't know what happened to all of her personal stuff." Maybe there are more boxes in the storage locker?"

"Vincent, this is amazing." Catherine said lovingly tracing the edges of the journal. "It's also really painful."

"I want to hear all about it, let's get stuff cleaned up here and go home."

Tess and JT took off to complete the work on the beast serum and antidote and also to check the storage locker for any more boxes. Before they left JT told Vincent. "I should have plenty of antidote ready by tomorrow, also I am not making any more beast serum, but I think I know what Sam did to make the beasts obey him, so while I am not going to make any more of it, I do know how to make it.

"Thanks JT; we'll see you two tomorrow. Catherine and I will see if we can get anything useful out of the journal."

Back at the houseboat Vincent and Catherine were curled up in bed going through the journal.

London 1836, Scotland Yard has asked me to assist them in solving a series of deaths that have been occurring. The deaths are taking place at night, in the Whitechapel section of London. There have been 5 and the victims have all been males and death appears to be from an animal attack. The victims have claw and bite marks and death appears to be from severe trauma and blood loss.

They have come to me because my family runs the largest private zoo in England. They are hoping I can help them identify the type of animal that is responsible. What they don't know is that in reality we don't just run a zoo, there are extensive laboratories behind the façade of the zoo and much more than animal care is going on there. I have been uniquely trained by my Uncle in the capture of certain types of "animals"; hopefully I can capture and contain this one as well.

I have suggested a method of capturing the "animal" and hopefully tonight we shall be successful.

"She was a beast hunter, at first. From what I read earlier her parents were killed by beasts and she was raised by her Uncle Leo. Her Uncle trained her and she dedicated her life to hunting beasts. She didn't have the Gem that we found, but she did have a smaller gem in a ring that he gave her. That way she could interact with the beasts in their human form and never worry that they would beast out on her."

I met him that night. He was there in the alley, when I caught the other one, the one that had to be put down. That one was completely feral and only able to remain human while I was touching him. I had no choice, so I put him out of his misery.

He tried to stop me thinking I was going to be hurt. He had been hunting the other one as well. His name is Lucas…..

Even writing his name puts a warm feeling deep in my belly. He is beautifully mesmerizing. He has green eyes and black hair, and his voice is magical. A bit of an Irish lilt, and when he says my name the world stops and there is only he and I.

Catherine leaned into Vincent. "I know exactly what she means."

Vincent tightens his arms around Catherine. "I wish he'd had a journal, I can just imagine what he thought about her, a woman who could kick some ass back in those days, and she must have been amazing. Kind of like her decedent." Vincent said as he kissed her forehead.

"I am afraid to keep reading. We know Rebecca was last seen headed to the dudgeon in 1840 and with those claw marks?"

"Yeah it would have taken some serious stress on Lucas to make marks like that on concrete. But she may have written about her Uncle and anyone else in charge, it might give us a place to start."

Lucas is a victim of an experiment that took place in Dublin when he was a child. His family was poor and had too many mouths to feed, so Lucas ended up an indentured servant to a wealthy Irish industrialist. Only Lucas was smart and athletic and his employer saw an opportunity with Lucas. He was only 14 when they injected him and he spent several years learning to control his beast. When he was sure he had control, he killed his master and escaped. He has been living in London for the past several years; he heard about the killings and had been tracking the beast finally catching up with him just as I did.

I had never seen a beast with as much control as Lucas. He could summon it at will and control it, never once letting the beast control him. He grabbed me by the waist as I killed the other one, pulling me against him. I was breathing heavily and as I took deep breaths I could smell Lucas. He smelled like rain, the kind that falls in Ireland, so lush and green. His arms felt like steel bands wrapped around me. His body hard against my softness.

He turned me around and asked me if I was ok. I laughed because no one ever asks me if I am ok. He ran his hand alongside my face and down my side and instead of slapping him for taking such liberties; I just stood there drinking him in as he looked at me.

"What is such a beautiful woman doing out here?" He asked me.

'What does it look like I am doing? The real question is what are you doing here and who or should I say what are you?"

Before he could answer Scotland Yard agents started swarming and he took off, melting away in the night, but not before he placed his finger on my lips and then on his own. "Till Later, Mo Thaisce."

What does "Mo Thaisce" mean? Catherine asked me as I was already Googling it.

"My Treasure, it's Gaelic," I said to Catherine. "It's pronounced Mo HASHK-uh, he really had a way with the ladies, and maybe I can get a few pointers."

Catherine laughed and put down the journal. She turned in his arms, pressing up against him "I don't think you need any pointers you're pretty capable with the ladies."

Vincent let the beast come out just a little and growled at her, eyes glowing. As the beast subsided he smiled, "Yeah?" Her answer was lost to his kiss.

Later, as he held her in his arms and watched her drift off to sleep, he wondered about Lucas and Rebecca. He hoped there was a happy ending to all of this; Catherine would be devastated if it turned out that the dungeon was also their grave….

Catherine and Tess had to go into the precinct and do some actual NYPD work for the day. Vincent and JT were left to go through Vanessa's boxes and when he got bored with that Vincent started prowling around the Curio shop.

"There had to be a reason that Windsor kept all this stuff, don't you think JT?"

"Sure, I don't think someone like Curt Windsor ever did anything randomly, I mean he had the skeleton hidden here, so who knows what else might be here."

JT went on, "You know, Windsor was a part of Murfield for a very long time, he might have collected information over the years, if for no other reason than to be able to blackmail someone."

Vincent and JT left Vanessa's boxes and started searching the Curio shop in earnest. They looked in boxes and tapped on the walls nothing seemed out of place.

Vincent looked around the shop, and reached out with his beast senses. He could sense the room where the beast skeleton had been. He reached out further, he could also sense another space, and this one was underneath them.

"JT, there is a space under this shop. I am just not sure how to get to it."

"Can't you just beast up and punch your way through the floor?"

"Yeah I could but then not knowing what is down there, I could damage it to."

"Good point, Ok so beasting up is not an option, I guess we do this the old fashion way."

JT shows up a little later with what looks like a lawn mower, "Ground penetrating radar? Did you steal that from the University?"

"Can you think of a better idea? And no I just borrowed it. This way we can see what is down there or at least find a space for you to break in."

"Right here should be good."

Vincent unleashed his beast and made short work of the floor. JT found a ladder and joined Vincent at the bottom. Turning on his flashlight, they begin to explore….

The area down there was dank and dark, it felt like no one had been down there in centuries, but if Windsor had known about it, surely he had checked it out. "This is way creepy," JT says as they walk through the tunnels. "We can't be under the store anymore can we?"

Vincent pauses and listens, "Not anymore, let's keep going, there has to be a reason this is down here."

They come to a door; Vincent can hear the hum of equipment on the other side. "There is something in here."

Vincent opens the door and what they see stops them in their tracks….. Turning to Vincent, JT says, "You better call Cat."

Cat and Tess are just as stunned as the guys. "What is all of this?" Cat says.

JT shrugs, "I am not sure, but if I had to guess I am guessing Windsor's life's work and research into Murfield and those behind it."

The walls are covered with pictures, and maps, lists and arrows connecting everything. There is a server humming in the background. They stand there taking it all in.

Catherine inhales sharply, Vincent looks at her. She is staring at a series of drawings and photos.

"It's Rebecca and Lucas"

In looking over the items on the wall it's clear that someone had been tracking them. There were drawings of each of them and then drawings of the two of them together; there were a few photographs of them as well.

"Windsor could not have done all of this." Tess looking at how much was there and how old it is.

"My guess is that someone else started this and passed it on to Windsor, maybe he is related to all of this somehow." JT explained.

"You realize how big this is, I mean even without going through all this I can tell there is just no way to take them down. There are maps of every major country up there." JT points out.

Vincent looks at Catherine, thinking of the threat to her, to them and is determined to keep her safe; they are not going to end up like Lucas and Rebecca. "There has to be something we can do, we can't pretend we don't know about beasts and we can't just sit here waiting to be a target, or ignoring what is going on. We have to take the battle to them."

JT tells them, "let me dig through some of this and I will see if I can't find something to target or someone."

Tess offers to stay and help JT and Cat and Vincent head home.

None of them notice the small red light blinking on the floor near the door.

Sitting on the sofa Vincent and Catherine read through Rebecca's diary some more that night.

He found me later that night at the apartment house I was staying at in the city. Late at night there was a knock on my window. I was startled at first but when I realized it was him, I opened the window, he sat on the ledge. I leaned against the other side, just close enough to reach out and touch him, yet far enough away that one of us would have to take that first step.

He was surprised that I was not afraid of him; I explained that my family had known about the existence of beasts for generations and that I had been hunting them for a long time. He was shocked, and surprised. I was as well; why in the world would I tell him that, I instinctively trusted him and could tell that he was different from the others I had hunted.

I asked him if he had ever hurt anyone, he said no one that didn't need hurting. He asked me if I was going to hunt him.

How can I explain my feelings, I barely knew him, yet I trusted him. The thought of hurting him, stole my breath and hurt me. I told him that I didn't hunt things that didn't need hunting.

That really wasn't true; I had never run across a beast that did not need to be put down. How could I explain the feelings he stirred in me. Destiny? Fate? I had never believed in them before I met him.

He came to me at night for several weeks; I had staying in the city to make sure that the beast I had killed was the only one. We talked for hours, he seemed sad almost as if the only time he felt human was when he was with me. Every night when he left he'd say Good Night, Mo Thaisce.

After a few weeks with no new cases it appeared that my job here was done. The thought of going back home and never seeing him again was too painful to imagine. My job here was done and my Uncle expected me back home.

I told him I had to return to my Uncle and that it would be too dangerous for us to see each other again. My heart hurt when I spoke those words and it seemed as if he could sense my pain. That night he closed the distance between us and took my face in his hands.

He put his forehead against mine and said "Ta' mo chroi istigh ionat. My heart is within you," he said as he kissed me. We will find a way; for I will not be parted from you.

I clung to him as if he had all the power in the world to take me away from all of the ugliness that surrounded us.

As Vincent closed the book, he looked at Catherine; she was quiet lost in thought over Rebecca and Lucas.

"Are you Ok?" he asked.

"I am not sure, Vincent. I feel for them, I feel like them, in love and so overwhelmed by forces beyond our control. Why can't we just be left alone? I just want to love you and be with you. Why is there always a battle to be fought just so we can be together?"

Vincent shook his head, "I don't know, but we will find a way and Lucas was right about one thing. You carry my heart within you and I will not be parted from you."

With those words, Vincent took her in his arms and kissed her. Catherine kissed him back. Vincent could sense her desperation, her fear of losing him, of them losing each other.

He picked her up, cradling her head in his hand as he kissed her. He held her tight as he walked up the stairs. He was determined to give her what she so desperately needed. Reassurance that they would never be parted, that they were together and always would be.

Catherine wanted oblivion. She did not want to think or feel anything that was not Vincent. She clung to him, kissing him like he was water and she was thirsty. Like he was food and she was starving. She held his head and ravaged his mouth. Vincent picking up on her mood was not gentle. This was not the time for gentle that would come later. Now it was about erasing everything that was not them.

Vincent tore off Catherine's clothing as she tore off his. He picked her up and impaled her on his shaft; Catherine wrapped her legs around him and wrapped her hands around his neck, biting his shoulders. He was so big and she so small he could hold her with one hand. Her small bites on his neck and shoulders were sending shock waves down his spine, centered in his shaft that was thickening inside of her. She groaned and started to move her hips up and down. Vincent held her still, he was so close, and he reared his head back and growled at her, he could tell she was smiling against his neck. He fisted his other hand in her hair and pulled her head up and to his mouth. He kissed her, tongues swirling, teeth scraping.

He turned around and pressed her up against the wall, he started to thrust, slamming home as she cried out around him. Harder and faster he went until she could no longer think, she could just feel him. His strength, his power all held in check for her, he lay everything that he was at her feet and she did the same for him. He could feel her starting to come apart, he increased his pace and he exploded inside her as she was milking him, her muscles squeezing him dry.

Vincent did not let her go; he stood there still inside her and in his arms. He touched his forehead to hers. "Look at me." He said gently. Catherine opened her eyes and looked at Vincent. "I love you, and together we can overcome anything, there is nothing out there stronger than us, we are forever."

Catherine kissed Vincent and said "I love you too and I am sorry I was afraid, I know that there is nothing that I can't do with you by my side."


	12. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The Grey haired man looked up as the door to his office burst open.

"Sir there has been a breach at Windsor's"

"How long ago?"

"20 min"

"Get the chopper and a recovery team"

How in the hell did they find Windsor's room? It didn't really matter, hopefully he would get his hands on Vincent and Catherine, with Gabe already in custody they could finally start work on synthesizing what Vincent and Catherine have. It would be worth millions. He chuckled to himself thinking of Gabe, the idiot had actually thought they would turn him into a beast and just let him go…..

JT and Tess were looking through all the stuff that Windsor and his predecessor had accumulated.

"This is crazy," said Tess, "there is so much here I don't even know what I am looking at".

"Just try and concentrate on names or addresses. We need to find a target for Vincent and Catherine." Said JT

All of a sudden the doors burst open and men in black riot gear fan the room, weapons pointed at JT and Tess….

JT and Tess move close together, hands in the air.

A grey haired, older gentleman walks into the room and JT and Tess look at each other, acknowledging that this must be the man who met with Gabe.

"Well…Hello there, you are not who I was expecting to find here."

JT cleared his throat and said "Well, we weren't exactly expecting company here either, and you are?"

"My name is Maxim Reynolds. I am the CEO of Rognvrald Industries. And you would be?"

"Not Vincent or Catherine if that is who you thought you would find here." JT said trying to be brave.

Reynolds smiled, a creepy smile, the kind that makes you check your back pocket for your wallet. "Yes, that is a bit disappointing, but I have a feeling that Vincent and Catherine will be coming to see me very soon."

With that he nodded at the men, and the last thing JT remembered was looking at Tess and the sting of a tranq dart…

Reynolds addressed the leader, "Take them to the same facility as Lowan. Make sure you leave a trail for Vincent to follow."

Even though Catherine was exhausted after the day they'd had and Vincent's powerful lovemaking, she couldn't sleep so leaving Vincent sleeping peacefully, she crept downstairs to read more of Rebecca's diary.

_ Lucas had followed me to my Uncle's compound. I saw him after being home a few days. I was out walking, stretching my legs and getting some fresh air in the woods, when out of no where he grabbed me and pulled me behind a tree. I fought him at first until I realized it was him. He kissed me feverishly, like it had been weeks since he had seen me last instead of just a few days. I clung to him; I had missed him so much. He was the air I needed to breathe._

_ I warned him that is too dangerous to be this close to the compound. He did not care, he said now that he had found me; he was never letting me go. He is too reckless; he has no regard for his own safety. "Mo Thaisce, I never thought I would find anyone who accepted me, who looked at me and saw the man and not the monster, you do not realize how precious you are to me. I would take you away from here, come with me and be my love."_

_I desperately wanted to leave with him, but I knew that I was too valuable to my Uncle, plus I felt a responsibility to help and to protect people from Beasts. I told him that I could not leave. I had a responsibility, almost a calling to protect people, how could I do that without my families resources._

_ "Then I will always be nearby, all you have to do should you have need of me is call my name and I will come to you. Meet me here again tomorrow night." He kissed me and melted away into the night._

_ The next day it all fell apart…_

_ My Uncle called me in to tell me that a rogue beast had been spotted near the property, he instructed me to find and kill it, but as he described what I was looking for, I realized he was talking about Lucas…._

_ I asked him what the creature had done to warrant its death. All my Uncle would say was that several women had been killed in the area and it was feral, dangerous, a rogue that needed to be put down. I knew he was lying, but I did not know why. Lucas would never hurt anyone. My Uncle instructed me to find the creature, but for the first time he did not want me to kill it. He wanted me to capture it and bring it back to the compound._

_ He explained,"We have never had one so close to the compound before, this way we can study it and find out where he came from. Maybe we can even try and save it."_

_ I was suspicious of my Uncle, we had never before brought one back, we were dedicated to keeping people safe, I had not been aware that we had the facilities to hold a creature, must less study one. I thought all our resources were dedicated to training people like me to keep the world safe from Beasts. I agreed with my Uncle and then set off to find the truth of what was going on._

_ That night I met with Lucas, I told him what my Uncle had said, he denied having hurt anyone and I believed him. "It's not safe for you here, I have to stay and find out what is going on, but you have to leave here, I could not bear it if something happened to you. Please Lucas, I love you but you have to go." _

_ He of course refused to leave me; he begged me again to come away with him and I was so tempted, but I was suspicious of my Uncle now and needed to find out what was going on in our compound. I promised him I would be careful and I told him that I would meet him tomorrow night in our spot. He held my face in his hands and told me to be careful, that I was precious to him and that he loved me. He kissed me softly and faded into the night._

_ I found the labs the next day, I don't want to write what I saw there, but it was clear to me that there was a lot more going on then just training beast hunters. There were people caged up, some in full beast and some stuck in transition. It was like a horror carnival. I could not set them free; there was no way these creatures could survive on their own in the outside world. As I turned to flee my Uncle stood in the doorway, he wore a sad disappointed look on his face._

_ "I had hoped you would never find out about this. What on earth caused you to start looking around here" I don't remember what I told him, I was just desperate to keep my knowledge of Lucas away from him. He had known something was off with me since my return from London. He wanted to know what had happened while I was there but I refused to tell him anything. Instead I went on the attack….asking him how he could have done these things and what kind of a monster was he! He just shook his head at me and said he was sorry as he locked me up in a cell of my own….._

Vincent woke up to an empty bed, putting on his robe, went downstairs. There he saw Catherine curled up on the couch sound asleep with the journal in her lap. He smiled to himself. She looked so beautiful in sleep, as he stared at her; she wiggled her nose and snorted a little. He laughed, God how he loved her. He picked her up and carried her back to their bed, as he curled up around her; she grabbed his arm and pulled it into her chest as if to wrap him around herself. He kissed the top of her head. "I'm here, I will always be here." With those words her body relaxed and she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning Catherine filled Vincent in on what she had read in the journal.

"So Rebecca figured out that her Uncle was actually creating beasts, not just protecting people from beasts and he locked her up?"

"Yes I can't believe I feel asleep at that part. I can't wait to get back to it."

"Before you get lost in that journal again, we need to touch base with JT and Tess. I tried calling JT earlier, but it went to voice mail. Can you try Tess?"

"Nope, straight to voicemail. Could the tunnel be blocking the cell signal?"

"Not sure, but I have a bad feeling"…..

They got to the Curio Shop and noticed that Tess's car and the University van were still there, but no sign of JT and Tess. Down in Windsor's room it was obvious there had been someone there, the place was trashed. It was then that Vincent noticed the blinking red light in the corner of the floor, just under the door.

Vincent knelt down and examined it closer. "Someone knew we were here and must have come looking for us, and grabbed JT and Tess instead. Dammit! How could I have missed this?"

"Vincent don't beat your self up, we were all pretty overwhelmed with finding this place. Can you track whoever it was?"

Vincent stood up and closed his eyes, letting his Beast rise to the surface…..

Catherine loved watching Vincent use his beast like this; he was so strong, so sure of himself. She had loved him before because he was kind and caring, but this new confident Vincent was also a badass and she had to admit that it was very sexy…

"I can track them, let's go!"

"This is almost too easy"; Vincent says a short while later, having tracked JT and Tess to a location in the industrial park outside the city. "You do realize this is most likely a trap?"

"Yes but what choice do we have, we can't just leave Tess and JT, to whatever is going on in there."

Vincent turned and looked at Catherine, fear made his belly clench and his heart pound. His greatest fear was coming true; they were going to walk into the one place that had the power to destroy them. He started panting trying to keep the beast at bay. The beast wanted to protect his mate, he did not care that Catherine was strong and brave. He did not care that Catherine would never be ok with being left behind, being safe. The Beast didn't care that Catherine had saved his life as many times as he had saved hers. The Beast did not care if they were stronger together than they were apart, all the Beast wanted was to keep his mate safe.

Catherine could see Vincent struggle and she knew he was afraid for her. She placed her hand alongside his face and he immediately calmed. We will be OK, we can do this Vincent, you and me, we can do anything….. She took his hand and together they headed for the building.


	13. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The building was a large non-descript concrete block building. No identifying information anywhere on the building, no address, no business name. There were few cars in the parking lot, but nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing to suggest what might be going on inside.

Maxim Reynolds was pacing in the security suite.

"Any sign of them?"

Staff at the security monitors all reported back the same thing. Nothing on camera, nothing on infra red. So far Vincent and Catherine had not put in an appearance.

"Let me know the minute they show…."

JT came to slowly. He could feel his heartbeat in his head, the pounding thump thump, thump thump. His stomach was a little queasy, he attempted to open his eyes, but the blinding light had him quickly closing them. He took a deep breathe, no pain and he could smell disinfectant and the chemical heat smell given off by computer equipment. As he lay there he realized he could not hear anything, he could smell the computer equipment but he could not hear it, no humming or buzzing which was odd because to have enough equipment running that he would notice the smell the sound should be pretty obvious. But he heard nothing, just the sound of his own breath and heartbeat.

"Tess," He whispered, eyes still closed. "Tess can you hear me". No response. Opening one eye JT looked at his surroundings. He was in a cell, but it was clear, like glass or plastic. There was a tiny little private area with the toilet but that was it, the rest of the cell was completely transparent. He could see other cells, and right next to him was Tess and next to her was Gabe!

JT slid over to the shared wall of his cell with Tess and called her name. She was lying down as well, he could see that she was breathing but she was not moving. "Tess!" He yelled louder pounding on the wall. She didn't move.

Beyond Tess's cell he could see Gabe, just sitting and staring at them. He looked at JT, nodded his head in acknowledgement and then placed his hands over his ears, and shook his head. Gabe was telling him what he already had figured out, these cells were completely sound proof.

The cells were arranged in a ring around the outside of working lab. In the middle were the tables and chairs, beds, computer stations and other equipment in what looked like a very well funded laboratory. At this time no other cells were occupied.

Tess started to wake up, JT concentrated on her, as if he could will her to look at him and sense that he was there. Tess shot to her feet and then promptly fell to her knees grabbing her head as the last effects of the tranq wore off. On her hands and knees Tess looked up and around and her eyes found and locked on JT. She said something but JT was not good a reading lips. He put his hand to his ear and she realized he could not hear her.

Tess was trying really hard not to freak out. She wanted to take apart this cage and take a piece out of the old guy that had brought them here. She looked around the cell…Then noticed Gabe next to her; she automatically backed up towards JT. Gabe just shrugged and smiled sheepishly at her. Tess turned around and placed her palm against the glass. JT did the same, they stood there a moment staring at each other and then at the same time they mouthed…."I'm going to get you out of this" They laughed.

Gabe had been shocked when Maxim brought JT and Tess here. They were obviously caught in the cross fire, Gabe could not see Maxim letting either of them live once Vincent and Catherine showed up. For that matter, Gabe wasn't sure if he would continue to live once Catherine and Vincent showed up. Maxim had not explained anything to him, one minute he was strapped to the chair about to get the beast serum he wanted and the next minute he woke up in the cell, he had beast powers, but he still could not get out of the cell. His greatest fear was that Maxim had injected him with Sam's beast serum and he would be at the mercy of Maxim once he did get out of the cell.

Vincent was able to open up the ventilation system and he and Catherine entered the building that way. They did not speak to each other as they moved through the system, Vincent trying to get a sense of what was here and how the place was laid out. Catherine was following him and watching his back. His backside actually….Catherine thoughts started to drift…..she wanted to reach out and grab a hold of that backside in front of her and…..

"Get a grip Chandler" She said to herself.

"What," Vincent stopped and turned back to look at her.

"Nothing" she said, her voice an octave higher and her face beat red.

Vincent smiled, his dimple winking at her. He could tell that her heart rate was elevated and she was aroused. "Catherine, focus…."

"I'm trying but….."

"Stop checking out my ass" Vincent said laughing quietly. "Now you know why I didn't let you go first, one of us has to be paying attention."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Payback's a bitch mister."

He lifted his eyebrows in challenge. "Can't wait"

She knew this banter was just a cloak over the fear they both had that something bad was about to happen. But in their lives they had learned the hard way you had to take the happy where you find it.

"Can you sense JT or Tess in here?" Catherine wondered.

"Faintly, there are a ton of scents in here to process through but I am pretty sure JT is at least here. I am more familiar with his scent than with Tess. Let's keep going."

As they moved along the system they could see laboratories, athletic testing facilities, dormitories. Not very many people though and no one that Vincent thought was a beast.

"Shouldn't this place be busier?" Vincent asked.

"Maybe it's like Murfield where they held you last year. There was a ton of equipment but not a lot of people. Maybe the keep each facility fully equipped but rotate staff for smaller projects based on what's needed. Less people are easier to control."

Vincent cocked his head "Not bad Chandler, not bad"

The moment Vincent and Catherine had entered the vent system, they had been tracked by Maxim's people. He made adjustments to sensors and other systems as Catherine and Vincent moved through the facility. He wanted them to find the lab and find their friends. Then there would be nothing that Vincent and Catherine would not do for him.

After crawling around for what seemed like hours, Vincent and Catherine came upon the lab holding JT and Tess. Vincent dropped down from the vent first, reaching out with his senses making sure it was safe before signaling Catherine that it was ok to come out. She jumped down trusting Vincent to catch her and set her down on the ground. She came up weapon at the ready and scanned the room back to back with Vincent. After not finding any threats, Catherine then turned toward their friends.

"Tess, JT and Gabe!" Catherine looked over her shoulder at Vincent who was near the door checking to make sure they were alone. He turned back toward the cages.

"What the hell, Gabe?"

Gabe just shrugged his shoulders at Vincent, he knew well enough that they would not be able to hear him so he did not bother.

"Tess, JT!" Catherine ran up to the cages, "Don't worry we will get you out of here." She said placing her hand against the glass of Tess's cell.

Tess held up her own hand and said "How?" At least that is what Catherine thought she said. She realized then that she could hear nothing from any of them.

"Vincent can you hear anything in the cages, can you hear Tess or JT?"

"No they are totally soundproof. My guess is they were made to hold beasts, which tend to make a lot of noise when they are pissed off. Look around and see if you can see anything release mechanism button thingy."

All Catherine could see were lab stations and a pair of really nasty looking chairs that looked like something a dentist would use. If your dentist was a soul sucking evil devil spawn that like to experiment on people. The chairs reclined, but had straps and metal shackles attached to it. Plus the chairs didn't look so much bolted to the floor as they did made from the floor.

"I know what you are looking for and you won't find it here"

Vincent snarled immediately in full beast mode as he swept Catherine behind him to face Maxim who stood in the doorway.

"Now Now, settle down Vincent we don't want anyone to get hurt. Ms. Chandler drop your weapon please. This place is monitored by cameras and everything is controlled by a central control station. So unless I say so…"

He nodded his head towards what appeared to be a lit up EXIT sign. "No one is going anywhere."

Six men in riot gear were behind Maxim all with tranq darts and guns and all pointed at Vincent.

"Don't feel bad that you did not hear me coming; this whole facility is designed to suppress your beast traits, not completely of course but just dampen them enough that you can be controlled more easily. I allowed you to find your friends… that is the reason I took them after all."

Catherine dropped her weapon and Vincent suppressed his beast side for now. He grabbed Catherine's hand, pulled her in close and they faced Maxim together.

Vincent did not say anything; he was not going to give this guy the satisfaction. So Maxim spoke first.

"My name is Maxim Reynolds." He nodded at Catherine as if sensing her question. "Yes we are related, it's not important how. What is important is that I have your friends and Vincent and I will kill them unless you help me."

"Help You? What makes you think that either one of us would help you?"

"I don't need Vincent's help, I already have what I need from him and he has completed his task in destroying rogue beasts. It's you I want."

"You will help me because while your attachment to your friends and to Vincent is your most redeeming characteristic Catherine, it is also your weakness. You would do anything for them, including die for them. Am I wrong?"

Catherine stared at Maxim, trying to find some resemblance, some token that she was related to this man, but she couldn't…. not having met any other Reynolds besides her father. What could he want with her, was it really her ability to calm beasts or the affect he thought she had on Vincent. She looked at Vincent and at Tess and JT, Maxim was right she would sacrifice herself for them.

It was driving Tess and JT nuts that they could not hear what in the hell was going on outside their cells. But it looked to Tess that Catherine was about to make a big mistake, she recognized that look in Cat's eye and the stubborn lift of her chin, Cat was going to make a deal.

"Your right, you want something from me, let them go, let all of them go and we can talk."

She let go of Vincent's hand and stepped in front of him, she heard him growl her name.

"Catherine you are not going to do this" He stepped up close to her.

She turned to him, "I love you Vincent and I always will, but you need to get JT and Tess and leave this place."

Maxim laughed. "While this is touching, you don't really think I am just going to let them leave do you? No, what I propose is that you help me and I won't kill them. Like this for example."

He nodded his head, again at the EXIT sign.

Tess could tell that something was happening inside her cell; she felt the change in air pressure and then it became difficult to breathe; she started to cough a panicked look on her face. JT started banging on the cell wall between them; you could see him yelling but not hear him. Tess was holding her chest and bent over.

"STOP, please just stop!" Catherine cried, "Don't hurt her, I will do whatever you want, PLEASE JUST STOP." Catherine was wide eyed and breathing heavy, chest heaving.

Maxim nodded his head again and Tess could hear the rush of air into her cell and feel the coolness of the oxygen. She slumped to the floor in relief next to the shared wall with JT; he slid down right with her.

"What we will be doing is put Vincent in a cell right next to JT; we wouldn't want him to miss anything."

One man kept his gun on Catherine, while the other 5 went to deal with Vincent.

"You can come peacefully or I will tranq you. Your choice…"

Vincent went into full beast mode; he managed to take out 2 of the 5 on him before he was hit with the first tranq dart.

"Vincent!" Catherine cried, "Please don't do this, and don't make them hurt you, Vincent please."

Vincent heard Catherine but there was no way he was going down without a fight, he pulled the tranq dart out and lunged for another guy. He was hit again with a dart.

He could hear Catherine screaming his name and the last thing he saw before he went down was Catherine screaming and being pulled away from him. Then everything went black.

Vincent came to inside a cell next to JT. He reached out with his beast senses and felt…nothing. Opening his eyes he saw JT sitting against their shared cell wall. Vincent shot to his feet. He looked around but did not see Catherine anywhere. He looked at JT who gestured to the door and shrugged his shoulders.

Vincent prowled around his cell searching for some weakness he could exploit, some way to get out. He was struggling not to panic. He had no idea how much time had passed. He could not sense Catherine anywhere. His brain knew that she was alive but his heart and his beast were having a mild panic attack.

"Get yourself under control man you can't help anyone like this. Think….."

Catherine was in a similar room in another laboratory; Maxim explained that it was necessary to keep her and Vincent apart for a little while.

"We need to make sure he is going to be cooperative and to test one of our theories."

"I thought you said you got everything you needed from him?"

"We did but, it won't hurt to have him here in the flesh to test our theories than to just test his blood or DNA. I think there is something about you that calms Vincent and gives him control over his beast, exactly the opposite of what Tori did to him."

"You knew about Tori?" Catherine shook her head, this was all too much.

"Of course we did, we have known where Vincent was this whole time and have been keeping an eye on him. Sam got in the way for a little bit and we were not happy when he killed Tori, but on the upside we got a new version of the beast serum so not a total loss."

"Catherine, you shooting him, Tori coming into the picture, watching Vincent self destruct was very informative. He was a more powerful beast but also out of control. Everything about him was negatively influenced by Tori. The way he acted, the way he felt, and the way he acted was totally out of character for him."

"It took him awhile to figure out that Tori was influencing him and I am sure that you being absent from his life during that time made it worse."

"I was surprised when he broke things off with Tori and starting making his way back to you. Tori dying and that influence being gone made that process happen pretty quickly, it will be interesting to test it again."

"Test what? What are you going to do with me?" Catherine asked.

"Several things, I really do think you have the ability to calm Vincent, but do you have that ability with all beasts, we will test that. What about a beast injected with Sam's serum that has the added mind control element. Will you be able to control him? I am especially curious about that since that type of beast is one we have not had much time to study. Or is your ability limited to Vincent?"

"And can you control Vincent in the presence of another female beast? Or can Vincent control himself because of you in the presence of a female beast, especially one who is actively trying to seduce him?"

"So you see there is a lot of work to be done."

"What about my friends?" Catherine asked.

"Well we obviously can't just let them leave so that is up to you. You cooperate and we can look at wiping their memories just like we did with Vincent and then letting them go, it's not ideal, but they would be alive or we can kill them. It's up to you." With those words he left her alone.

Catherine slid down the side of her cell and sat with her head on her knees and her hands wrapped around her legs. She was trying to be strong but tears slipped out, her mind was racing. Now what? This whole situation seemed impossible. She had no idea where Vincent was, no idea what was happening to him. How were they going to get out of this?

"Vincent," Catherine whispered…

In his own cell, Vincent whispered "Catherine"….


	14. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Catherine smiles as she feels Vincent spoon up behind her, wrapping his strong arm around her waist and nuzzling the back of her neck, his scruff tickling her awake. She turns around in his arms, pressing herself against the ever obvious sign of his desire for her. He kisses her gently, lips barely brushing each other. "Catherine" she hears him say quietly and breathlessly as Vincent's voice fades away…"Vincent!" Catherine cries out as she wakes up. She is alone.

Vincent smiles as he feels Catherine scoot her bottom up against him. She wriggles into his embrace and he tightens his arms around her. "Good Morning," he says as she burrows even deeper into his arms. He lifts her hair and kisses the back of her neck. She moans, pushing back even more against him. He lifts her top leg and slides his between them. He runs his hand along the inside of her thigh, finding her wet as she pushes against his hand. "Vincent" she breathes his name. He lifts her leg even wider as he enters her from behind. He groans, "Catherine…" He wakes up, he is alone.

Catherine and Vincent are both pacing in their cells as Maxim watches on the monitors, he could tell that they each were having erotic dreams right before they woke up. They are both frustrated and clearly agitated. "Well! No time like the present, let's get things started."

Vincent is tranquilized and moved out of his cell. He is shackled to a post in the middle of the lab; the area around the post is clear of anything as far as his chain will allow him to move. Tess, JT and Gabe all have a good view of what is going on. JT is looking at Vincent who is slouched at the base of the post while the tranq wears off. He has pads and wires on him, probably to record his vitals. Vincent also has a band around his bicep; JT can't tell what it is for….What in the hell are they going to do to him? He wonders.

Maxim comes to collect Catherine.

"I am sure you are impatient to begin the testing so first up we need to establish a base line for Vincent. So for right now, we are going to let you see him. You will be able to touch him and talk to him. Keep in mind that we still have your friends and if you do not cooperate, I will kill them."

Vincent is awake when Catherine is brought into the room. He quickly looks her over from head to toe; she appears unhurt even as her heart is racing. He closes his eyes, God he missed the sound of her heartbeat. As he opens them Catherine is staring at him checking him over as aggressively as he had her. She notices the wires and the cuff and the shackles.

"Vincent" she breaks free of the men behind her and runs up to him.

"Hey, Catherine, I am ok", there is enough slack in the chains that he puts his arms around her. "I am fine."

The men leave the room…..

Catherine pulls back, "Oh Vincent are you sure your OK, what is all this" She runs her hands over him checking again to make sure that he is unhurt.

"They are recording and measuring my vitals, and probably my reaction to you."

They take a moment to just look at each other. Vincent cups her face in his hand. There is so much they want to say, but they know Maxim is listening and recording. They both try and tell each other how much they love one another without saying a word.

Catherine's heart rate slows as does Vincent's. Vincent puts his forehead against Catherine's, and at the same time they take deep breathes and say "We are going to get out of this"

This causes them to smile and Vincent kisses her, he lifts his head and nods at JT and Tess, "All of us." Catherine turns to look at Tess and then back to Vincent. "All of us," she echoes.

Not really sure what she is supposed to do, Catherine fills Vincent in on what Maxim told her yesterday.

"So it's me against Beasts, and mind controlled beasts and to see how you react to a female beast with and without me around. I am not sure what good this is all going to do them, how can they tell if it's my DNA or a Pheromone thing or something in my brain chemistry unless they dissect me afterward. Oh shit!" Catherine looks at Vincent.

"That would make sense, there is no way they can just let me go after all this, they can't let any of us go can they?" Catherine continued the thought.

Vincent was trying to remain calm, " I am not going to let that happen, we will get out of here, I just need some time to figure out how. We…." Vincent stopped when he remembered they were being monitored.

He gathered Catherine close and whispered in her ear. "Act like I am seducing you….Catherine moaned and cradled Vincent's head with her hand keeping him at her ear.

"We have to figure out how to get control of the command center before they can kill JT and Tess," he whispered "So play along with what they want for now, but look for an opening, you are the one they are going to be moving back and forth it's going to have to be you." Vincent kissed her ear, sending shivers down her spine as he pulled back from her.

Catherine grabbed Vincent's head and pulled him to her, placing her mouth against his ear. Vincent growled and tightened his arms around her. "Ok, I will, but be ready for anything, I am scared of these tests Vincent, what if I fail you?" Catherine pulled back looking at him.

"I trust you, we can get through this, remember we…"

"Are stronger together…..when we get out of this, we are getting matching tattoos!"

Catherine stepped out of Vincent's arms to look around the lab. "How far can you reach?"

Vincent stood up and walked as far as his chains would allow, "About 8ft in a circle."

They were startled by a voice over an intercom…. "Now that you have gotten reacquainted lets begin."

Vincent and Catherine looked at each other….A click was heard coming from the ring around Vincent's bicep and Vincent felt the burning sensation of being injected.

"Catherine" was all he got out before the change was on him. He went from Vincent to Beast in the blink of an eye.

Catherine had recognized the tone in his voice and had stepped back just outside the reach of the chain. She watched fascinated as Vincent roared and pulled on his chains, he lifted his head as he scented her and before she could breathe he was right in front of her.

He was magnificent…..powerful, beautiful and really pissed off. Catherine did not know what they had done to him, but obviously they and turned him beast. He was straining at the end of his chain to get to her. She stood there unafraid of him.

She was surprised that she was not afraid considering last time she was this close to his beast, it was the night he had kidnapped her and had pushed her down. Catherine recognized the difference in Vincent now. Even though he was beast, she knew he would not hurt her because he loved her. Before when he had pushed her, he did not know her, even though he was trying for her sake. But now he loved her and she felt no fear.

"It's OK Vincent…. I am right here….. Come back to me….. I need you here with me….. I love you Vincent…"

Catherine put her hand against Vincent's cheek as she kept repeating those words. Vincent snarled yet turned his head into her palm.

She could see in his eyes the battle he was waging to regain control. He was fighting hard against whatever they had done to him. His breathing ragged, chest heaving, claws' clenching so hard, blood was starting to show between his knuckles.

She placed her other hand on the other side of his face and held him there.

"I love you Vincent Keller…..Come back to me….I can't do this without you….."

Vincent dropped his head and with one deep breath, the beast was gone and Vincent slumped to the ground exhausted. Catherine went down with him wrapped in her arms. She held him there, rocking him back and forth.

"You did it! I knew you could do it."

So faint she could barely hear him, he whispered "No you did it Catherine, it's always been you."

The lab doors slid open and Vincent shot to his feet his beast easily taking over to protect its mate. He snarled at the men coming in, he automatically shifted Catherine behind him. They shot him with tranq darts without saying a word and as he went down the last thing he saw was Catherine being pulled away from him.

Catherine struggled against the men pulling her from Vincent. "You didn't have to do that, he would have gone willingly"

The men held Catherine there as the others got Vincent back into his cell. As the ones holding her turned to leave, she begged them. "Please let me stay until he wakes up, I just need to be sure he is alright." They ignored her pleas as they dragged her out of the room and back to her own cell.

Maxim was pleased with the results of the first test. Catherine obviously could get through to Vincent even in the middle of an adrenalin enhanced change. The next question is would she be able to get through to a stranger as well. Or was it something special between them. He would have his answer to that this afternoon.

Vincent woke up, with a hell of a headache; being first injected with adrenalin and then tranquilized will have the effect on a person. He looked up to find JT staring at him a questioning look on his face.

"I'm OK Man or at least I will be." Vincent waved off JT's concern. He looked past JT to Tess who looked like she had been crying….That was something he thought he would never see. He nodded his head toward her and mouthed, Catherine?

Tess shrugged her shoulders and again pointed to the door.

Vincent sat there trying to work out a solution to their current situation that did not end up getting his friends killed. He'd had no chance to do anything when they let him out of the cage with as much tranq as they were hitting him with each time they moved him. It was going to be up to Catherine to get them out of these cages.

His heart hurt thinking of her, she was so brave, standing up to his beast, even reaching out to him, loving him, showing no fear at all when the last time she had been that close he'd shoved her down. Just thinking about that makes him sick to his stomach. His greatest fear was not these tests they wanted them to perform, but that Maxim would repeat the mind wiping from the last time he was their captive. Knowing what Catherine had gone through what he put her through last time he could not remember, no way could he face that again. He would rather be put down than hurt her again.

Vincent remembered the promise Catherine had made him make, to not let them be separated, to kill her if it looked like the bad guys were going to win. Vincent was determined that would be one promise he would not keep; they were going to get out of this, together.

Catherine has just eaten some lunch when Maxim came to see her.

"Marvelous job this morning, your control over Vincent is extraordinary!"

Catherine thought to herself that it was Vincent's control that was amazing, but if Maxim wanted to believe it was her, more power to him…

"This afternoon we shall see if you can exert the same control over a beast that has been injected with Sam's mind control serum. If, you've finished with your lunch?" He held his hand out to indicate Catherine should follow him.

Catherine bravely stood up and said, "Ready when you are!"

She was led back into the lab, she sighed in relief looking at Vincent in his cell, and he was ok. Vincent, JT, Tess and even Gabe were pressed up against the walls of their respective cells in order to watch.

A man she did not know was now in Vincent's spot chained to the post in the middle of the room. Maxim led her over to him.

"Catherine this is Ian. Ian this is Catherine. Ian I want you to kill Catherine"

They looked at each other. Catherine had no idea what to say to him, "Hi please don't kill me?" Seemed kind of lame.

Maxim left Catherine standing there and she turned to look at Vincent, she smiled at him and then everything happened at once and in slow motion. She heard a click and Vincent's eye grew wide….. he yelled, slamming his fists against the glass…. at the same time she turned and was staring into the yellow eyes of a beast.

Before she could move he had grabbed her, claws digging into her arms. He snarled at her and picked her up over his head and slammed her on the ground.

Catherine could not hear or see him, but Vincent was going wild inside his cell throwing himself against the glass trying to get to her.

Catherine saw stars when her head hit the ground and then the beast was on her. She fought him, getting her legs underneath him, she kicked him off of her, she scrambled back quickly getting out of the range of his chain, He kept leaping toward her and growling at her.

Catherine sat a minute and took stock. Her arms were bleeding but nothing bad, her head hurt but again nothing bad. She looked up at Vincent to see him pressed up against the glass, panting.

She put her hand on her heart and said "I'm OK Vincent, hurt but OK, please stop hurting yourself."

Ian/Beast was straining on the edge of his leash to get at Catherine. She stood and faced him. She did not know what to say to him, she couldn't use the same words she had with Vincent; those were spoken from her heart.

"Hey there it's going to be ok," she tried with her hands raised up out in front of her.

"Settle down now, you don't really want to hurt anyone do you?"

She racked her brain trying to think what she could say….

"There there nice beastie."

This was not working. She turned to look at Vincent but he could not communicate with her, his focus was all on her. She looked over at Maxim.

"I am not sure what you think I can do, but I clearly have no effect on him."

Maxim nodded and the security force tranq'd Ian and took him away.

"Well that did not go as planned; I was really expecting you to be able to reach him. Let's see what happens with a beast that is not under mind control."

"Now? How about a bit of a break. I have to pee!"

"Fine, I'll have Carson take you back to your room, I will come for you in little while."

Maxim gestured to one of the guards and he came over to take Catherine back to her room.

"Wait, I want to talk to Vincent first!"

"Sorry not right now, maybe later" Maxim nodded his head at Carson in dismissal.

Catherine looked back at Vincent; he was watching her as well. They locked eyes on each other for as long as they could.

Carson did not say anything to her until just before she got to her room.

"You were very brave in there, just keep it up."

"Thank You" she said as the door slide shut, locking her in.

Catherine went to the small sink and cleaned up her wounds as best she could given her lack of resources. She sat on the bed, lost in thought. Her thoughts raged between concern for Vincent and her friends, to anger at being forced to be Maxim's guinea pig, and concern that when all this is over, they will all disappear just like Rebecca and Lucas.

I wonder if this is how Rebecca felt once they had caught Lucas in NY, even with everything that was going on, she missed Rebecca's journal and was desperate to know what happened to them.

Vincent, he must be almost insane with worry by now. They way he had been throwing himself at the walls of his cage; he was going to get hurt. That was why she wanted to talk to him before she left. He needed to trust her, she was strong enough to get through this, she just wished she knew how they were going to get out of this!

Carson reappeared to take Catherine back to the main lab. "I'm sorry you have to go through this, but it is for the greater good."

"That is not the way I see it, you seem like a good person, how can you work for someone like Maxim? Can't you see what he is doing, we never did anything to him, and all we wanted was to be left alone. Hasn't Vincent suffered enough?"

"Your concerned about Vincent, about a beast more than you are about yourself?" Carson questioned.

"Of course, I love him, how could I not?"

Carson looked like he had more to say, but they had arrived at the main lab.

As Catherine entered, her first look was to Vincent. He did not look any better, still pressed up against the wall of his cell, still staring at her as if he could protect her through his sheer force of will. She smiled at him to let him know that she was fine.

"I can do this" she said to him, hoping that while he could not hear her, he could understand her. "Trust me."

Carson noticed this exchange, as he took Catherine over to Maxim.

"Now let's see how you do against a Beast who has not been injected with mind control serum." Maxim pointed over to the pole, and it was only then that Catherine noticed that Gabe was the one chained up, with a cuff on his arm.

Catherine was smart enough this time to stay out of range of Gabe. She looked at him.

"I'm sorry" she said. "Sorry that you ended up here, sorry that I hurt you. It was never my intention, but I hurt you anyway and I am so sorry for that. Whatever happens, I am sorry Gabe."

Gabe stared back at her, then up a Vincent.

He smiled back at Catherine, "Don't be sorry, I never loved you, I was just using you to get what I wanted, and that led me here, so Karma is a bitch, but her name is not Catherine."

She smiled at that, she would always remember his sense of humor. "You did help me and you were there for me when I needed someone, so even if it was not genuine on your part, you helped me get through…."

That was all she got out, before she heard the click and Gabe was no longer standing in front of her, but his Beast was.

She knew better this time what to say to him, she knew Gabe and thought maybe their connection would help him regain control, but it did not matter what she said or did, he remained in Beast form.

Maxim was not happy. He was positive there was something about the treatment she'd received as a child that gave her control over beasts. So far that hypothesis was not being born out. Vincent was the only beast she could exert control over. Tomorrow he would test his theory about Vincent and see how he did with female beasts.

Maxim as promised let Vincent and Catherine have a few moments together, before he took her back to her cell. As he left her in Vincent's cell he reminded them that he could hear every word and advised Carson to take her back to her cell in 15 min.

As soon as the cell door slid open, Catherine was swept up in Vincent's arms. They held each other for a few minutes, and then Vincent pulled back and checked her over.

"Vincent I am fine, please don't waste this time being a doctor."

She grabbed his face and kissed him. He kissed her back like it might be the last time. They were both very aware of the fact that it might be.

Carson watched Catherine and Vincent and if anyone had been looking, they would have noticed extra moisture in his eyes.

Vincent wanted to talk to Catherine but he was finding it difficult to stop kissing her. He pushed back from her, took her by the hand and sat down on the bed keeping her right next to him. He put his arm around her and she snuggled into him as he lay down.

"I just need to hold you for a minute,"

Vincent I really am Ok, I can do this, whatever Maxim wants he is not going to hurt me, he needs me."

"You might be Ok, but I am not. Watching that beast grab you and pick you up, toss you like you were nothing, it just about killed me. You might be strong enough for this, but I am not sure I am." He tightened his arms around her. "Catherine I could not live if anything happened to you, I wouldn't want to."

Despite everything that was going on, Catherine smiled thinking of the last time Vincent said those words, back when Murfield was all they were worried about, having no idea just how big all of this was.

She turned in his arms put her face into his neck and whispered to him. "I would not want to live without you either, we are going to get through this, and we just need time to figure out how. Tomorrow is another day."

Vincent kissed her passionately, not caring that they were being watched and forgetting that JT was right next door. She responded to his kiss, poured all her fears and her worries into the kiss and let Vincent consume her and take them away.

Too soon the cell door slid open and Carson stood outside.

"I'm sorry Catherine it's time to go."

Catherine and Vincent stood up and embraced one last time. Vincent kissed her again, "Good night, sweet dreams."

"Good night, I love you," Catherine said to him as she walked out with Carson.

Vincent watched as Carson led her away, even after they had left the lab, Vincent stood still staring at the last place he had seen her.


	15. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Catherine let Carson lead her back to her cell. Her mind was so focused on Vincent that she did not notice they way he looked at her.

"Can I ask you something?" Carson said.

"Sure, what?"

"Do you really think Vincent loves you, that he is capable of love?" asked Carson.

"Yes he loves me and I love him, we were separated against our will last year and it took awhile, but I just got him back." Catherine said, struggling not to cry. "I can't believe that this might be the end for us."

Carson opened the cell door for Catherine but did not respond.

As he walked away his conscious started nagging at him as well as something else.

Catherine did not dream of Vincent that night, instead she dreamed of Lucas and of Rebecca, how their love appeared to be doomed and tragic….. All of the things that now seemed to apply to her and Vincent.

The next morning Maxim came to get Catherine.

"Today we are going to test Vincent's power to resist a female beast, as I explained earlier he appeared to overcome Tori's influence before she died, but it deserves more scrutiny. Her death so soon after it appeared that he had made his decision makes it unclear, if he really would have been able to resist her.

"Why does it matter?" Catherine asked.

"Because now that we can control Beasts, thanks to Sam, if we can control who they mate with, we then control the next generation of beasts as well. If that bond ends up being more powerful than your ability. We can pair up male and female beasts without having to worry about someone with your abilities coming along and messing things up. Maybe part of our mistake with Vincent was not pairing him with a female beast to begin with!"

Catherine shuddered, "This does not sound like it is going to be pleasant at all," she muttered under her breath.

When they entered the lab, Vincent was once again shackled to the pole in the middle of the room. Vincent started toward Catherine as soon as she entered and strained against his chains to get to her. Catherine ran up to him, threw her arms around him and they held each other for a moment. They were so absorbed in each other they were oblivious to everything happening around them.

Maxim cleared his throat, "Today we are going to test your connection to Vincent while he is under the influence of a female beast. Helena is our current female beast in residence."

Catherine gripped Vincent tightly, the thought of seeing him react to another woman, even if he could not help it, made her want to throw up and throw things at the same time.

Vincent could sense Catherine's erratic heartbeat and knew she was thinking about Tori and the kiss she had witnessed and she was probably imagining far worse.

Vincent took Catherine's face in his hands. "It's my turn now, I can do this, you are who I love and nothing and no one is going to come between us."

"I love you Vincent." Catherine said as Maxim led her away from Vincent.

Maxim had her stand in Vincent's view but far enough away that she could not interfere with the experiment.

Carson led Helena out, she was beautiful. Long blonde hair (Thank God it's not red thought Catherine) tall and slender, but also powerful looking. She had piercing green eyes that were focusing in on Vincent.

Vincent was looking at Catherine.

Carson was looking at Helena, he held onto her arm for longer than he needed to…. Maxim instructed him to leave Helena there and come stand guard over Catherine. He obeyed but not before one last look at Helena.

Helena approached Vincent and for a moment just stood in front of him, she smiled a seductive smile and reached up to touch his face.

Catherine flinched as she watched.

Vincent could feel the Beast in him wanting to rise to the surface, the aggression; the rage came rushing back as Helena touched him.

Vincent looked at Catherine, his eyes were golden, but he was still in control, all he had to do was look at her, she is his humanity. He loves her and with that love he could beat anything.

Vincent's muscles have become larger and the veins in his neck and forehead are standing out as Helena runs her hands over him, down his arms, across his chest.

He stands perfectly still his eyes on Catherine as Helena tries to inflame him with her caresses. She stood chest to chest with him trying to get him to look at her. Vincent just looked past her and at Catherine.

She is so beautiful, all the love she felt for him was reflected in her eyes, all he had to do was to keep looking at her. She lifted her chin and nodded ever so slightly at him, to let him know she loved him and trusted him.

Helena walked around behind him running her hands around his shoulders and down his back and cupped his ass, purring as she did so, pressing her body up against him.

Vincent just kept his eyes glued on Catherine, he imagined it was her touch and her caress he was feeling, he let the rage go and forgot about Helena just focused on Catherine. The more he focused on Catherine the less influence Helena had. Eventually he calmed down and just stood there, solid, still, not reacting and completely focused on Catherine.

Catherine could see when Vincent had won. He was still looking at her, and his eyes had returned to their normal hazel, he was relaxed, no longer tense, his breathing returned to normal. He actually looked bored.

She turned to look at Carson, and noticed that he looked exactly the opposite; he looked angry, stressed and seething with barely disguised rage. She quickly looked back at Vincent and saw that he had noticed it too.

Helena was becoming increasingly frustrated that Vincent was not reacting to her. It confused her that he did not respond to her, she was panting and her desire for him was causing a deep ache between her legs that needed to be satisfied. Vincent was giving off something that was causing her to react, but she was having no effect on him.

Standing behind him, she reached around and grabbed his crotch while she licked the side of his neck. Helena glared at Catherine as she massaged Vincent through his jeans. Helena wrapped one of her legs around Vincent's and was easing that ache by rubbing herself on Vincent.

Catherine and Carson both made the same sharp intake of breath sound. While Catherine looked like she wanted to kill Helena, Carson just looked hurt.

Vincent was still looking at Catherine, they only reaction he was having was the one in his jaw from clenching it so hard. He grabbed Helena's hand whipped her around in front of him.

Helena thought she had won and smiled. However that smile quickly faded as she found herself thrown across the room.

Vincent turned to look at Maxim, "If she comes near me again, I will kill her."

Catherine could sense Carson's distress. She grabbed his hand, "Not now, not here."

Vincent said to Maxim "Are you finished?"

Maxim responded "For now" He turned to Carson, "Carson take Helena back to her cell and make sure she is OK."

"Catherine I will give you some time with Vincent."

With that… except for the monitors they were alone.

Catherine walked up slowly to Vincent, "Are you alright?" She said tentatively.

"Come here," he said and held his arms open "I need to hold you."

With those words, she flung herself into Vincent's arms.

He held on to her and said "I am sorry you had to watch that. I love you, I hope you believe me."

Catherine lifted her head and looked Vincent square in the face, "Of course I believe you, I love you too and nothing that just happened here changes that. You won! Vincent, I could see you struggling against whatever it was that she was doing to you. You beat it."

Vincent explained, "It was rage and anger I was battling not lust. She had no effect on me sexually, but she was frustrated I could sense that and then she took it too far and it was either get her away from me or kill her. She definitely has the ability to enhance the beast traits but there is nothing primal there, nothing that would turn me away from you."

Catherine kissed Vincent, "Just to give you something to focus on for the next go around, I won't be in here next time and I just want you to remember me."

Vincent kissed Catherine right back, "As if I could forget you. Even when they wiped my memories I recognized you, your heartbeat. It took some time, too long in fact, but you are hard to forget Ms. Chandler."

Catherine and Vincent held on to each other until Carson came back for her.

"I want to talk to Tess, before I leave here." Catherine demanded.

Carson looked toward that damn EXIT sign again and lifted his shoulders as if asking the question. The doors to Tess' cell opened and she rushed out. She stopped at JT's cell to place her hand on the wall and he did the same. She then ran over to Catherine and Vincent and hugged them both.

"Are you Ok?" Catherine asked Tess.

"Me, I am fine", she motioned back to JT, and "We are fine, how the hell are you?"

"Fine considering…..She hugged Tess tightly whispering "I have an idea on how to get out of here, but can't explain just be ready for anything."

Tess hugged Catherine back tightly, trying to convey all the love and support she could. "I am so sorry you two are going through this."

Catherine reached out for Vincent's hand, "We are going to be ok, and we will get through this."

The loudspeaker crackled,"Ms. Vargas please return to your cell, we do have work to continue here."

Tess returned to her cell as Carson brought Helena back into the room.

Maxim returned as well. "Ms. Chandler care to join me in the other room for this test. Helena appears to be unharmed, we shall see if she has any better luck with Vincent when you are not in the room."

Catherine grabbed Vincent's face and kissed him quick. "I love you and you can do this."

He stared at her, "Don't worry Ok…. I promise…..don't worry."

Carson came up and shortened up Vincent's shackles so that he could not hit or throw Helena again. He could move his arms, but not very much.

Catherine turned and left the room with Maxim. He led her into a room full of monitors. Catherine had no idea what all the monitor's measured, all she cared about was the one that showed the room Vincent was in alone with Helena. Carson stepped over to Tess and JT's cells to watch.

This time Helena wasted no time in getting close to Vincent. She pressed her body up against his and grabbed his face in her hands. She kissed him, forcing her tongue inside his mouth. He bit down, drawing her blood. Helena pulled back and looked at him.

Catherine is watching the monitor with her heart in her throat. She closed her eyes when Helena went in for the kiss, picturing a red head in her place.

Vincent's eyes were yellow, his veins standing out, but he was not reacting to her, and he was controlling the extent of his beasting out. Vincent growled and narrowed his eyes at Helena, "Kiss me again and I will bite it off"

"Why? It's clear that I have an effect on you," she purred as she stroked his chest with her hand. Her hand worked its way down to his groin and slid inside his pants, finding him….. soft.

He arched his eyebrow, "Not much of one." He said as he head butted her backwards.

She yelled, stumbled backward and grabbed her face, but came up fully beast and slashed him across the chest.

Watching the monitor Catherine called out "No" and tried to get to the door, but was restrained by Maxim.

Carson ran toward Helena and called out to her. "Helena Stop! Please." Helena whipped her head around at the sound of Carson's voice and tipped her head to the side.

"Calm down Helena, you don't want to hurt him or hurt yourself." Carson said and he slowly walked toward her. Hands open in a non threatening gesture.

Helena snarled at him, but returned to her human form. She fell to the ground holding her head.

Carson picked up Helena as Maxim and Catherine came back into the room.

"I am taking her to the infirmary to get checked out." Carson said as he left with her.

Catherine ran up to Vincent and lifted his shirt to check out the nasty claw marks Helena had made, she turned to Maxim. He needs to see a doctor.

"I will send one to check on him." Maxim declared as he left the room, extremely agitated.

Catherine looked around the lab and found some paper towels and held them on the wounds.

"Catherine see if you can find anything in here to get me out of these shackles, quickly while no guards are around."

"But they will see on the monitor."

"Then do it carefully like you are looking for medical supplies."

Catherine looked around the lab, but did not see anything that could help. "Why can't you just beast out and break them?"

"Sweetheart, I love you, but don't you think I would have done that already if I could" Vincent said looking at her softly to take the sting out of his words. "The shackles are made of something even my strength can't break."

"Right, Sorry, stupid question, just really trying not to freak out here!"

Catherine came back to Vincent, "How bad is it?"

"It's not actually that bad, she sliced me good, but it's only skin deep, probably could use some stitches, but no big deal."

"Maybe while we are here we can make a deal to get your healing ability back?"

"I can't imagine they would go for that, keeping beasts vulnerable is pretty much the only thing they have done right so far!"

Catherine thought a moment. "Why do you think these tests didn't work, or at least not in the way they wanted? I can't really control beasts and you can't really be controlled!"

"Not sure really, haven't given it too much thought, I've been too worried about you to think of much else."

Catherine was quiet, thinking about everything…..the tests, their life before Vincent was kidnapped, and all the stuff that has happened since she found him.

It's Love…..She said softly.

She reached up and touched Vincent's face, "It's not DNA, or brain chemistry or anything scientific, it's just love."

Vincent cocked his head to the side questioning.

She smiled, "Think about it…..That night in the woods when you saved me, I wasn't afraid of you, and you saved my life. You watched over me for 10 years, and you fell in love with me. You were able to control yourself around me and I was able to reach you because you loved me!"

"Ian and Gabe don't love me, and that is why I have no effect on them."

"After you were taken and your memories erased, you didn't remember me and you didn't love me, that was why you reacted and shoved me when you'd felt threatened. That was the reason you reacted so strongly to Tori, we were finding our way back to each other, but you didn't love me yet…."

"But now," Catherine presses close to Vincent her mouth just inches from his. "Now you love me and nothing they do is stronger than that. This has nothing to do with me, it's all you Vincent."

Vincent smiled and leaned into her, closing those last few inches. "It has everything to do with you, because I love you." He said as he kissed her.

As they pulled back, Catherine said, "Speaking of love, I think Carson may help us get out of here."

"Really," said Vincent, "He loves you too?"

She laughed, "No he loves Helena…." They way he was looking at her, his reaction when she was all over you. He loves her. Yesterday he asked me if I really thought you loved me, if you were capable of love."

"So why would he help us?" asked Vincent still skeptic.

"I think seeing us together has opened his eyes to what is possible and I think a life with Helena away from here is something he would want, something we could help him with if we get out of here. What do you think?"

"Makes sense and it's worth a shot."

Carson returned, this time with a Dr. to look at Vincent. It was decided to take Catherine back to her cell and Vincent to the infirmary to get stitched up.

Catherine talked to Carson on the way back to their cell.

"Are you Ok?" she asked him.

"Fine, why?"

"I saw how difficult it was for you to watch Helena with Vincent, and I remembered the questions you asked me last night. You love her?...Don't you?"

Carson stood still for a moment; he looked at Catherine, who was looking back at him with understanding and empathy. No judgment, no guilt, no censure.

"Yes I do," he whispered so softly that she almost missed it. "I am not sure how she feels about me, but I have loved her for some time. You should have seen her when she first got here, she was such a fighter, but over time they did something to her, she changed. Now she is mindless and just does whatever they tell her to. It kills me to watch, they subject her to all sorts of tests, some are physical, some are mental and some are sexual."

"Carson with your help we could escape, all of us, including Helena. I don't know the layout here but you do what would we have to do to get out of here?"

Carson stared at Catherine, he shook his head. "Keep walking…."they started back to Catherine cell. "We would have to gain access to Control and take that. Once you have that you pretty much have control over the facility. Then it's just a matter of fighting your way out. There is not a lot of staff here; the facility is designed to be run with as few people as possible, easier to keep secret."

They arrived at Catherine's cell, "Please help us, help yourself." She said as she entered her room.

"Maxim leaves here around 7pm for the night, fake getting sick around that time and I will come and take you to the infirmary. Just follow my lead."

Catherine was careful not to react due to the cameras. "Oh my God, Thank You." She whispered.

"Don't thank me yet."

Vincent was resting in the infirmary after getting stitched up. Helena was in the bed next to him. Vincent was lying back eyes closed, thinking of Catherine.

"I'm sorry" it was said softly but Vincent could still here it. He opened his eyes. Helena was looking at him. She spoke again.

"I'm sorry for what I did back there, that's not me, that's not who I am. They injected me with something and it causes that kind of reaction." She is blushing, embarrassed at her behavior.

Vincent immediately felt terrible. "It's ok, believe me I understand."

They were quiet a moment, then Vincent spoke up. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"What?'

"Do you know that Carson is in love with you?" Vincent asked.

"Why would …no he can't possibly…..after all the things I have done, no one could love me."

"But you love him, don't you?" Vincent asked gently, immediately he knew that she did, even if she would not admit it. Her heart rate increased, her pupils' dilated and her breathing changed.

Helena shook her head, "No it's not possible, I don't…he couldn't….What makes you think?"

"I saw him watching you earlier today and the way he reacted when I hurt you. He loves you. Look trust me when I say I know what it feels like to push people away because you don't feel worthy. I wasted a lot of time with Catherine feeling like I did not deserve her love because of what I am. So all I am going to say to you, is…..If you love him, let him know, time is precious don't waste it."

Vincent was wondering just how long he was going to be kept in the infirmary when Catherine was wheeled in on a stretcher, with Carson coming in behind her.

"Catherine! What's wrong with her?" Vincent reached out with his senses but could not tell what was wrong. He pulled at his restraints, trying to get to her. She was wheeled into a treatment room and the door shut behind her. Vincent strained to hear what was going on, but with all the dampening measures he could barely hear anything.

All of a sudden, he could hear bodies hitting walls and people fighting. Then the door burst open and Catherine and Carson burst out and head right for him and Helena.

Catherine gets Vincent's restraints undone at the same time Carson is freeing Helena.

"What the hell is going on?" Vincent is totally confused.

"Don't have time to talk, Carson is helping us just follow our lead. We are headed to the Control."

Carson explained as they went that this time of day was when Maxim left and the shift's changed. They had one shot to gain control of the facility, once they did that they could set Tess and JT free and escape.

Vincent was shocked; it could not be that easy. "Really that is your master plan, Shock and Awe?"

Carson looked back at Vincent, "Yep! Let's Go!

Once they reached the door of Control, Vincent and Helena took the lead bursting in followed by Catherine and Carson, they were quickly able to subdue the guards and take control of the facility.

This is way to easy, thought Vincent.

Carson found the release to JT and Tess's cells and told Vincent and Helena to go get them and bring them back to Control. Carson would track them via the video monitors and warn them if they came upon any resistance.

Vincent and Helena raced back to the lab, not encountering anyone along the way. Once back in the lab, Carson remotely opened Tess and JT's cells. They ran out Tess and JT hugged each other first then Vincent.

Vincent stared into Gabe's cell. "Carson" he said out loud, "Can you make it so I can talk to him."

"Go ahead."

Before he spoke with Gabe, he turned to Helena, get Tess and JT up to Control. I will be right behind you.

Vincent turned back to Gabe, "I said I would kill you the next time I saw you."

"Yes you did," Gabe said staring hard at Vincent.

Catherine was watching on the monitors, she didn't care about Gabe she just wanted Vincent to get back here.

"I am not that man anymore, the old Vincent would kill you and think nothing of it, but I am better than that. So here is the deal, I am leaving here now, when I get back up to Control and before I leave this building I will open your cell. This is your chance, your last chance. If I see you or hear that there is a beast out there hurting people, I will put you down. You have to decide what kind of man you want to be Gabe. Choose wisely."

With those words Vincent turned and walked away, never looking back.

Catherine breathed a sigh of relief, which quickly turned to a shout of joy when Helena returned with Tess and JT. She grabbed them both in a fierce hug. "I am so sorry you got wrapped up in this, are you both ok?"

Carson spoke up, "We have a problem?"


	16. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Vincent burst into the room. "What do you mean we have a problem?"

Carson explained. "There is a failsafe. The last two doors, the outer one can only be opened once the inner one is closed. It has to be done from in here. Someone is going to have to stay behind."

Vincent immediately spoke up. "I'll stay; just show me what to do. I can escape the same way we got in."

"Vincent!" cried Catherine.

"I will stay," Said Helena calmly. I know this system and I know this facility better than you, Vincent. You leave with Catherine and your friends."

"Helena I am not going to leave you behind," said Carson.

"Look, we don't have time to argue, I swear I will meet you outside, just tell me where."

Vincent explained, "There is an abandoned warehouse about a mile down the main road, we will regroup there."

"OK, I will be there as soon as I can; she looked at Vincent….just get Carson out of here."

Vincent nodded his head in acknowledgement.

Carson kissed Helena…. hard, "Make sure you follow us out, promise me!"

"I promise, now go!"

As they left, Vincent yelled back to Helena, "Don't forget to let Gabe out right before you leave this room."

They ran through the facility, with Helena opening the doors as they went. Vincent only had to take out 2 guards in the process.

"I think this is what rats trapped in a maze feel like." JT said, trying to instill some humor into the situation.

Helena watched their progress on the monitors. She was also keeping an eye on the rest of the facility. So far so good, Vincent had managed to take care of the guards as the team came across them and no one else in the facility seemed to be aware of the break out. As the team approached the final set of doors, Helena did one last quick scan to be sure that it was ok to open the door. Nothing looked amiss, so she opened the first door and watched as everyone quickly went through. She then closed the door behind them.

She heard a beeping sound…..She checked the monitors one last time before opening the outer door and saw that Maxim was outside the same door wanting to come back in.

"Shit…..Vincent, Maxim is on the other side of the door, he came back to the facility." Helena said over the intercom.

Vincent paused and looked at his friends and at Catherine. "I know he may have answers for you, but I can't let him live."

Catherine put her hand on Vincent's shoulder, "I understand you do what you have to do."

"Ok Helena, open the door." Vincent was ready, summoning the beast as the door opened and Maxim appeared. Vincent did not give Maxim a chance to do anything, he grabbed him by the throat, pulled him through the doorway, telling everyone one else to run. Vincent twisted Maxim's neck until he heard a pop and Maxim went limp. Dropping the body Vincent shook off his beast and ran off after his friends.

Helena watched as Carson and everyone escaped, she breathed sigh of relief that everyone had gotten away and was safe. She hits the release button for Gabe's cell and takes off to make her own way out.

She makes it to the ventilation shaft that Vincent used to enter the building, but just as she is preparing to jump up into the shaft; a guard comes around the corner. Startled, they stare at each other.

"Stop!" he says bringing his weapon up to target her.

Helena squats down in preparation to jump and before she can leave the ground…. he shoots.

Helena makes it up into the shaft and starts moving quickly through it. Her side is stinging but she does not take the time to check, she is still moving so it must not be that bad.

Panic and chaos erupt inside the facility as Maxim's body is discovered and staff realizes subjects have escaped.

Helena makes it out of the facility and starts toward the rendezvous to meet up with Carson. Looking down she discovers that the bullet hit her in the gut and she is bleeding badly.

Vincent and the others make it to safety. There are hugs and kisses exchanged all around. Except for Carson, he is standing alone, looking back at where they came from desperately seeking a glimpse of blonde hair.

Helena is struggling to keep moving, her vision keeps tunneling, and she is having difficulty breathing. Leaning against a building she calls to Vincent, hoping he can hear her. "Vincent…. I am not sure if you can hear me but I don't think I am going to make it. I have been shot and I think it's bad. Please tell Carson I love him and I am sorry. Tell him that I'm sorry I wasted so much time, tell him that I am sorry, he had to watch me do all those awful things, tell him I'm sorry that I wasn't strong enough to fight them, tell him I'm sorry….

Vincent appeared…..You can tell him yourself, no one else is dying today….He scoops her up and races back to join the others.

"Helena!" Carson screams as Vincent returns with her in his arms. He rushes over to her.

Vincent lays her down on the table JT set up. JT rips open her shirt and he and Vincent quickly examine her. They both can see that the bullet did not exit. There is no way to know the extent of the damage, but more than likely it's fatal. She is bleeding heavily and they have no supplies and they can't take her to the hospital.

Vincent looks at Carson and shakes his head, "I'm sorry there isn't anything we can do." Vincent and JT back away, to give Carson and Helena some privacy.

"Carson, can you take me over to the windows?" Helena asks quietly.

Carson gently picks up Helena and carries her over to the windows. There are huge floor to ceiling windows and the sunlight streams in bathing everything in warm clear light. He cradles her in his lap and presses his lips to her forehead.

"I'm sorry." He says as tears begin to form in his eyes. "I never should have left you in there alone; I should have stayed behind with you."

"I am glad you didn't, you could have been killed and I couldn't have lived with that."

"But I am?" Carson said tears starting to flow. I am just supposed to go on living without you? How am I going to do that, knowing what we could have had?"

"I'm sorry that I'm leaving you behind, I want you to get away from this stuff and be happy. You gave me something today that I thought I would never have….." Helena coughed, it was getting harder to speak.

"You gave me love; I didn't think I was good enough for someone to love. I thought Maxim had destroyed anything that was good in me, but you saw through all of it and loved me anyway, so Thank you for that…..and for this." She took her hand and motioned to the windows. "Freedom…..at least I am free now."

Carson kissed her softly and inhaled her last breath…

Vincent could hear everything that Carson and Helena were saying, even though he wasn't trying to overhear them. His senses were on overdrive listening for anything that might be a threat to them. He was holding Catherine tightly imagining how easily it could have been them in this situation. This was the closest they had come to losing each other and he had to make sure it never happened again. They needed to disappear and go somewhere no one would ever find them. It would mean leaving JT and Tess, but it would be better for them as well if he and Catherine were gone.

He looked over at JT and Tess; they could not stop touching each other either. A few days of being able to see each other but not talk or touch had brought some realization to both of them. Vincent had no doubt they would be ok.

Catherine had been watching Helena and Carson and when she saw Carson's head drop onto Helena's chest and saw him wracked by sobs, she clutched Vincent even tighter. "This is so horrible; they just found each other, now she is gone…."

Vincent gave Carson as much time with Helena as he could, but they had to keep moving. He came up to Carson and placed his hand on Carson's shoulder. "I'm sorry man but we have to get going. It's not going to be safe to stay here much longer."

Carson laid Helena gently on the ground. He stood up and looked at Vincent. "I can't go with you, you guys need to get out of here, and I don't want to know anything about you that could put you in danger. I am not sorry that I helped you get out, but I can't…" Carson stopped to collect himself.

Vincent put his hand out, "I understand, and I can't thank you enough for saving all our lives, especially Catherine's. Helena loved you and when she realized that you loved her too; I saw how that realization made her feel. I am sorry for your pain, but you have to know that you changed her life in that moment and I hope that gives you some peace in the days to come. They shook hands and Vincent went back to Catherine.

Catherine did not want to leave without talking to Carson. "Thank you for saving us. I am so sorry about Helena, I wish there was something I could do." She said giving him a hug.

He hugged her back tight, "Go and be happy, you two deserve it."

Vincent and JT decided it was probably safe to head back to their respective houses. Maxim was dead and it appeared that each research facility operated independently. JT and Tess headed back to the Gentlemen's club and Vincent and Catherine headed back to the houseboat.

"You know tomorrow you can help me come up with a story to explain why I had the university van and GPR unit so long!" JT said laughing as both couples took off.

Catherine and Vincent make it back to the houseboat. Once they get inside they stare at each other, both of them thinking the same thing. It could have all gone wrong; they could have lost each other….They come together violently, Vincent picking Catherine up and taking her upstairs. Talking could wait; everything else could wait…..right now they needed to be together, skin to skin, no words needed as their bodies speak.

Vincent kisses Catherine as he sets her down, her body sliding against his as her feet touched the ground. She grasps his shoulders to steady herself as their mouths devour one another. They are starving for the taste of one another. Vincent grasps Catherine's face and tilts it to get a better angle, his tongue sliding in between her teeth, passionately dueling with hers. Catherine moans into his mouth as her hands slide down his back and underneath his shirt.

Vincent lets go of her face and raises his arms so Catherine can take off his shirt. She grabs his face, and slides her hands down his neck and over his shoulders. She marvels at his strength and relishes the flexing of his muscles as he slides his arms around her. His hands make their way under her shirt to lift it over her head.

"God you are so beautiful," He unhooks her bra and slides the straps off her shoulders. He lowers his head and worships her breasts. Her nipples perk up as if begging him for his attention. His tongue swirls around a nipple, licking and sucking; he pays homage first to one and then the other. Catherine's head falls back as she holds Vincent's head to her chest as he pulls her closer. She can feel his erection against her stomach as he pulls her pelvis into his.

"Vincent" she breathes his name. He lifts his head and looks into her eyes, they are both breathing heavy, wanting each other so badly but also wanting to go slow, to savor every moment.

Vincent unbuttons Catherine's jeans and slides them off along with her underwear. He runs his hands up along the outside of her legs, kneading her ass as he places kisses on her stomach. "Vincent" Catherine says his name again as he finds her center.

He inhales her scent, branding her onto his brain. He kisses his way back up to her face. "Catherine." Vincent says her name like a prayer.

Catherine makes short work of Vincent's pants and underwear. Catherine can barely breathe as she takes in all of Vincent. He is so beautiful. Strong shoulders, narrow waist and powerful legs. He is capable of such violence but also such tenderness. She looks at his erection and it jerks as if to get her attention. She wraps her hands around him, needing to use both to stroke him. He closes his eyes and enjoys the way her hands are light yet firm on his aching member.

Vincent picks her up and places her on the bed, He settles himself between her legs, and she moves her hips to give him access. He traces the curve of her cheek and runs his hand down her neck, smiling at her impatience. "Not yet, I want to take my time." He says as he lowers his head and kisses her. Catherine arches her neck and kisses him back. She moves her hands down his back, sliding them up to his shoulders, threading her fingers in his hair as he nips the side of her neck, making his way to her collar bone.

Vincent takes both of Catherine's hands and holds them over her head, loving the way her chest lifts and her breasts are presented to him like an offering. Never one to refuse anything Catherine had to offer, he lavishes attention on her breasts, loving the feeling of Catherine moving underneath him as he drives her wild.

"Vincent… please!" She begs as her hips undulate, mimicking the action she so desperately seeks from him. Vincent gives in and slowly enters her, she is hot and wet and so snug, he about comes undone.

Catherine inhales as he seats himself fully inside her. She arches her back in an effort to get him as far inside her as she can. He pulls out of her and slides back in slowly letting each stroke last as long as possible. Slowly they move together, Vincent kisses Catherine as he moves inside her, his tongue matching the same thrusts as his cock.

They move together slowly, gazing into each other's eyes as they find heaven together.

As they lay in the warm afterglow of their lovemaking, Catherine asks Vincent. "What now?"

"We have a lot to figure out, but it will wait until morning." He says as he kisses her, get some sleep. "I know I will sleep well tonight with you in my arms."

Catherine falls asleep cradled in Vincent's arms.

The next morning Vincent wakes up and Catherine is not in the bed. What is it about her that she can sneak out of bed and his beast senses are not alerted? He lays there and reaches out with his beast senses and hears her heartbeat downstairs. He can smell the coffee she made and he can hear pages turning. Of course, she would be reading Rebecca's journal, given everything that happened to them, she is desperate to know the outcome of Rebecca and Lucas's journey.

_I had been locked up by my own Uncle now that I knew what he was involved with. I worried about Lucas; he would panic when I did not show up to meet him. He would come for me, of that I was sure. I was afraid that he would be captured as well. _

_Turns out I need not have worried. Lucas was too smart to fall for any trap and carefully stole his way into the facility. He got me free and we took off on the run._

_We made our way to London and immediately onto a ship bound for America. The weeks on board ship were some of the happiest of my life. Free from worry about being discovered we were able to enjoy each other without fear or shame. Our days were spent laughing and talking and our nights were spent making love; learning the language our bodies spoke to one another. By the time we arrived in NY Lucas and I were madly in love and determined to stay together._

Vincent smiled as he came downstairs and saw Catherine curled up on the couch, a cup of coffee in her hands. He pours himself a cup of coffee and goes over to sit on the couch with her.

"How long have you been up? He asks tipping her face up to give her a kiss.

"Not long, I just couldn't wait to see what happened to them." She filled him in on what she had read so far. "By the time they got to NY they were madly in love."

"Have you eaten?" She shook her head no.

"How about you keep reading and I will make breakfast?"

"Mmmmm sounds good" she said as she snuggled down into the couch.

_We found a place to live; cheap anonymous places were easy to come by as well as jobs. Day's turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. After a few years we forgot about my Uncle and the experiments. We were just two people living our lives. We told people we were married when we boarded the ship in London so there was no record of Rebecca Reynolds anywhere, no way would anyone find us. Or so we thought._

_We got careless. It had been so many years with no threat that we forgot. Looking back now I can't believe we were so stupid, I also wish I had written this earlier, before the chaos, before they found us. There were so many little moments that I don't have time to write about now. How thoughtful Lucas was and how he never took me for granted, always grateful to have found me. We had a great love and we were both so aware of how rare that was. We cherished each other. No woman in the history of love was as happy as I for those few years in NY._

_It was a normal day when it started to fall apart. Lucas was on his way home from work and heard a woman scream. He went to help and found a woman fighting off unwanted attention from a man. Lucas stopped the man and the woman got away, but not before she saw him and his beast. The paper the next day told the story of the "Woman saved by a Beast" _

_It was not long after that the beast hunters showed up. They showed up at Lucas's work and described him well enough that his co workers pointed them in his direction. He managed to get away from work that day and home without them following but we knew it was only a matter of time until they found us. We had not kept our home a secret, any number of people knew where we lived._

_I decided to take a risk and expose myself to them. I knew enough about hunting that I felt I could convince them that I was also looking for the beast._

_I met with them and learned that they had a beast of their own, they were using him to track Lucas and they had a Gem as well that allowed them to control it. _

_I met with them in the dudgeon they had established as their base. For awhile I was able to run interference and keep Lucas safe._

_I tried to get Lucas to leave, just go anywhere for awhile until the hunters got frustrated and moved on. But of course he would not leave me._

_Eventually our luck ran out and Lucas was captured and taken to the dudgeon._

_I allowed myself about 5 minutes of panic before I got myself together and went to rescue him. _

_I walked into the dudgeon and congratulated the hunters on finally capturing their prey. I stood in front of Lucas' cell and pretended not to know him. Telling him with my eyes that everything was going to be ok….. it was all going well until my Uncle walked in._

_He had headed for NY as soon as he got word that a beast was here._

_When he grabbed me, Lucas went wild in his cell clawing the concrete trying to get out. Understanding lit my Uncle's face as he realized that Lucas was how I had escaped him in London. I fought him, but I could not take on him and the other hunters. Not even I was that good. _

_I begged him to let me go, to let Lucas go and told him that we would disappear and he would never hear from us again. He just laughed at me. I told him I loved Lucas and he loved me but he did not believe me. He was the only family I had left and he didn't give a damn about me._

_He stood me in front of Lucas' cell and taunted him. He watched as Lucas went crazy. What my Uncle didn't count on was Lucas breaking out of the cell. _

_Lucas exploded out of the cell and immediately took out the two hunters. I turned on my Uncle and while I could not kill him, I was able to knock him out._

_Lucas grabbed me up and we clung to one another. I was crying so relieved to be in his arms again. It's ok Mo Thaisce, he said as he stroked my hair. Mo Cheann Cro'ga. I stopped crying, what does that mean? He wiped my tears and said "My brave one, for that is what you are, the bravest person I have ever met." _

"_I love you Lucas"_

_I love you too; now let's get out of here."_

_We escaped the dudgeon and took off to whatever our future held, we were together and together we could face anything._

"They got away!" Catherine said as I was putting breakfast on the table. "Oh my God, I was so afraid that you had been right and that she had been killed trying to rescue him."

She jumped up and ran over and threw her arms around me. "I hate to say it, but I told you so! She saved him!"

"It kind of sounds like they saved each other," I said smiling at her happiness.

"Maybe it is possible to escape all of this and live happily ever after." Catherine said helping herself to a huge pile of pancakes.

"Anything is possible as long as we are together," I said and in that moment I knew that we would be Ok because just like Rebecca and Lucas we were stronger together that we ever would be apart and there was nothing I could not do with Catherine by my side.

"I love you Catherine Chandler and I will spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret choosing me." I said as I leaned down to kiss her, she tasted of maple syrup and my mind wandered a moment to all the fun things we could do with that syrup.

Catherine smiled as if she could read my mind. "I love you Vincent Keller and I will spend the rest of my life making sure you know that I will never regret choosing you." She stood up and picked up the bottle of maple syrup and backed towards the stairs, she smiled…. and turned and ran up the stairs.

I took off after her racing her up the stairs and towards our future, never looking back.

The End

This is my first story and I just want to thank everyone who read this and commented on it, you were an inspiration. I hope you enjoyed this story, next up I am going finish Don't Die on Me, so check back soon for updates to that one.

Go raibh maith agat aris.


End file.
